GermanyXFemaleReader: A Foreign Love
by ZeAwesomeHetalia
Summary: Your on your way to you new job in Italy after graduating college. The flight will be a long and boring one. What will you find at your new job in Italy? What kind of people will you meet? What will you house be like?
1. Chapter 1: Enterance To Italy

As the light of dawn drew your eyes open, you look at the ceiling. Let's face it, it was too early to be awake, time changes had always difficult for you, and this was no exception. Pondering of yesterday made you weary. Your first new job had brought you to none other than North Italy! As you roll over you remember the sights and smells of the streets.

After you had made it to your flight, (and almost missed it) you sat down in the gargantuan airplane_._

_"The seats are always the same on these airplanes_." you mutter while putting your rather heavy luggage on the racks above.

The seats were like always, blue and purple plaid and made a funny noise when you sunk deep into them to relax. The scratchy fabric was never comfortable. Sitting down you scanned the plane, rather uninterested.

"_A large variety of people are on the flight" _you thought.

You watched many people board the airplane. Some wore hats or were bald. Blondes, brunettes, and pretty much every hair color seemed to make their entrance. Babies with their mothers cried or giggled, and men sat and read newspapers. The guy ahead of you definitely smoked, and your nose twisted in response to the rather acidic smell. Luggage's filled the racks hanging above, and the "smile you to death" flight attends talked cheerfully to anyone who was curious about where they were off to. You played with the bottom of the fold out tables attached to the chair ahead and observed the rules and regulations airplanes always had. The child behind you started to kick your chair. You knew this was going to be a LONG flight.

The flight had stated to close its massive doors when a young, medium height man stumbled into the plane. It was a miracle he had made the flight. While he tried to calm the angry flight attendants down you took time to observe this strange man. It was obvious that he was speaking Italian, based on his unfamiliar words and overused hand gestures.

_"I guess he's returning home. I wonder where from…"_ you questioned.

Studying the man, you found so many oddities about him. It made you curious and you wanted to know more. Starting from his shoes, which you noticed were brown, nicely polished business shoes.

_"I don't think those shoes match his personality much" _you noticed as he was smiling and talking to the now delighted flight attendants.

Continuing to cure your curiosity, the man's pants were also brown but lighter, and stopped just at the right length. He also wore a belt, but it didn't look like it was doing anything to help his pants and shirt stay in place. His stark white shirt was on a tad crooked preferring his left shoulder. It was supposed to be tucked in ,but it was obvious he missed a few spots or it had come out from over stretching it. You noticed his broad shoulders and how skinny and lightly buff he was .He probably worked out, but maybe he didn't do it enough, or his diet came into play. Then you noticed the man's hair. It was almond/chestnut brown, with a red tint. It shimmered and shined when it moved, meaning it was very well groomed. It wasn't long, but it wasn't short either, and looked rather dashing on him. He had stray bands covering some of the man's forehead. But the most peculiar aspect of this man's hair, or him in general, was the long, thin curl coming from halfway down his hairline, and curled up.

"_I wonder what happens if anyone touches it."_ You think to yourself, giggling.

The man's eyes matched his hair and were a combination of brown, gold, and hazel, and sparkled lightly with wonder.

The man quickly stopped talking, for some reason. He turned and looked straight at you! You blushed lightly and look away, knowing he had felt you stare. Out of the corner of your eyes, you see him smile and look around for the now gone flight attendants. They had left to do their work and left the strange Italian standing there. He giggled and found his seat which was a few rows down to the left of your seat. Your seat was situated at a window on the far right side of the plane, toward the back of 2nd class. Your excitement for this ride was over, it seemed.

A few minutes later, the plane was ready to take off and you sped down the wide runway. By this time it was nearly nightfall, but you knew time would change when you got to your destination. The plane took off with tons of force, and you felt a strong banking to the left as the airplane climbed. Most people settled in for the "night" and laid back. You, however, needed to get adjusted to the time zone of Italy so you stayed awake. With a quick glance you also noted that the Italian had the same plan as you.

The flight was around six hours, excluding time changes, so you had a lot of time to do...well nothing. You started out strong by reading and listening to music, but soon you felt your eyelids slowly closing. You fought to stay awake, but sleep overtook you.

A creepy flight attendant was the one to wake you, along with all of the other passengers. That even included the strange Italian.

_"Looks like we were both unsuccessful, my friend"_ You thought groggily.

You sat up, rubbing your now aching neck. Not surprising based on the position you had slept in. Yawning you took off your blanket…wait when did you get a blanket?! You grabbed the nearest flight attendant, who also looked quite sleepy.

"Excuse me, ma'am? When did I acquire this blanket?" you say politely.

She responded quickly, "Oh well that fellow getting his luggage off of the rack did, he said you could have it, in fact."

You looked to where she was pointing, and sure enough, it solved your suspicion, it was none other than the Italian.

"Thank you" you replied not even paying attention to the women anymore.

You grabbed your luggage, rushing to catch up to the now leaving Italian. Hopefully you could speak enough Italian to say thank you and give his soft blanket back.

Turning quickly you swam through the crowd, slowly catching up to the man. You kept him in your sites by using the protruding curl. Finally you caught up to him.

"Mi scusi signore, grazie per la coperta" you managed to remember. "_Good." _You thought.

You motioned to the blanket and handed it to him.

The man, who seemed to notice you sucked at Italian, replied in English, "Oh, you don't have to return it, think of it as a souvenir!"

_"This man is so cheery, how can I not smile?"_ you thought, also surprised by how well he was bilingual.

Taken aback by this courteous gesture you respond with "thank you, that's very sweet...So what's your name?"

The two of you now heading toward the big luggage pickup, maneuvered swiftly through the crowd.

The man suddenly stopped, put his bag down, and saluted saying "Feliciano Vargas at your service!" while smiling with an earnest smile. "I'm also known as Italia Veneziano, or just Italy!' he said with his adorable Italian accent.

Now you stopped. There was no way on your first visit to Italy, you met THE Italy. You knew quite a bit from stories of the personifications of countries, but you never thought you would meet one! Rumors say they live until their country dies along with them, make crucial decisions for the country and much more, but almost no one gets to meet them.

He saw your distress and said, "Are you alright?"

You snapped back to reality quickly and looked at Feliciano and nodded. "I-I never thought I wou-would meet a-a country!" you managed to sputter.

He just laughed and put an arm around your shoulder. "Germany always says I need to stop talking to women I just meet and get back to training, but you're so funny!" he said between laughs. "I'm just like a normal person silly; don't think of me as anything more."

He started looking for his bag and you for yours. Once both of you pulled them off the line, you looked at each other again.

"Well, better get going," he said, "Germany is wa-" he got cut off.

"ITALY WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING COME HERE!" shouted a voice with a thick German accent.

You looked at Feliciano who was now terrified, he gave you a quick look and said, "Sorry I really have to go, goodbye Manoscritto," as he turned and ran off.

You saw him join parties with someone. The man was tall, had his hair slicked back, and wore army green clothing with a black tank top underneath. Army boots went up to his mid-calf, and that was all you could see from the distance you were standing. Sadly. You could tell he was very handsome, and you already felt attracted toward this man you would never see again. You also would never forget Feliciano for his kindness.

Lugging your bag to a taxi, you paid the driver to take you to the apartment that would accommodate you. Here it seemed to be a little past mid-day, so your eyes had to adjust to the different pitches. Slowly, your vision unfolded to the wonders of Italy.

Your eyes widened at the sight, it was too much to take in at once. The first thing you noticed was the brittle, salty tang of freshly baked Italian bread. Or was that pasta? You shrugged and continued. Turning in a circle, even the airport was beautiful. The fully glass paned building glimmered into the fading afternoon light. Cars picking up their loved ones lined the drive, as well as taxis ready to make a quick buck off of people with no ride. Foreigners also past the airport to and fro in sparkling colors, making others jealous of their get-up. The people ranged in looks and shapes and mostly talked in fluent and fast Italian, which frankly, you could not keep up with. The buildings around the airport were painted a variety of bright, beautiful pastel colors. Far away you could see the ocean, but it's warm breeze can travel far and splashed into your wonderstruck face. A fountain somewhere near made a trickling noise, but you were too busy looking elsewhere acknowledge the soft falling. You also heard a train in the distance, remembering that European countries have plenty of public transportation. You made a mental note to ride one of those fast trains while you were staying. To your left, the sun slowly moved across the sky, making everything in its rays dance in its divine light. You also could hear...what was that? You popped out of your "dream" and realized it was your angry taxi driver getting impatient, honking his horn at you. Swiftly you apologized, getting into the plain white automobile and took off. You looked behind you just in time to see the airport become a speck in the distance.

You couldn't look at your window well enough to see all of the sites around the small town. One museum, two grocery stores, and more than ten bike riders later, you gave up trying to look. Your hands tangled in your lap as you thought.

_"Was that guy yelling at Feliciano another country? He was saying before that a __**Germany**__ character didn't like him talking to strangers, Let alone he cut off saying that __**Germany **__was waiting. Plus the guy yelling across the room had a __**German**__ accent."_ You pondered as you felt the soft grey seats of the cab.

You finally came to a decision; you had just seen another country, Germany.

Again, as you were deep in thought, the taxi driver became angry due to the fact that you had arrived at least ten minutes ago to your apartment complex. Apologizing for the second time you got out and the man took off muttering Italian under his breath.

You looked at your new apartment. Of course, this being your first job, you hadn't had much money to buy a luxury apartment. No, instead you acquired a small apartment surrounded by others. It also wasn't in the fanciest part of town either. It looked like all of the buildings here, was painted a bright pastel. Yours happened to be orange, and was two floors, but cramped looking. You went closer for inspection. You first noticed the trim around the windows and base of the apartment. You were guessing it was supposed to white, but it discolored with age and was peeling off. As you looked at the place, pieces of the orange paint were also peeling.

_"I'll have to fix that sometime"_ you think.

The windows were dirty and full of cobwebs, indicating that you had a LOT of cleaning to do. No one was out of their homes, but their bright lights reflected down to where you were standing. The grass outside was tall and overgrown, and needed some serious attention. A dog barked somewhere in the distance.

You decided to go inside, it was starting to get dark, and you hadn't eaten all day. You brought some canned food with you on the trip, knowing you would need to shop. Your furniture would be arriving in about a week, due to it being shipped over sea. Approaching the rusty hinged, blue door, (that did NOT match the apartment) you set your luggage down and searched through your bag for the key. You found it and examined it. Your apartment address, 362, was engraved on the front. It was gold key with and odd tooth line. Turning it into in the lock, you heard a quick "click" showing that the key had done its job. You slowly opened the door.

The first thing you saw was...darkness. Finding the light, you switched it on. Even though this apartment was inexpensive, the room was magnificent. Three small rooms made the first floor, and two rooms and a bathroom made up the second. The living room was slightly left from where you stood. The carpeting was cream colored, but was probably white to begin with. The room was small, but big enough to fit a couch, a table, and a television. Its walls were painted an interesting shade of green that you were immediately fond of. There was a stain on it though, shaped like a picture that once hung there proudly. A glistening window let the sun's last rays into the room. Turning to the right, you saw the dark wood spiraling staircase that went to the next floor. There was also the doorway that led to the dining room. The floor was covered in the same wood as the staircase, and it made an echo every time you took a step further. The walls were a different color, a pale yellow that went with the wood beautifully .Slowly turning there was a giant window that looked towards the street, which was vacant. This room was smaller than the living room, and connected to the kitchen. Taking one last look, you moved into the kitchen. You moved over to inspect its cabinets. They ran overhead of the sink and lined the room, along with the lower cabinets below. They also matched the wood flooring in the dining room and now the kitchen. The handles where sliver and you made a funny face into one. Moving on, you looked at the surprisingly granite countertops. It went with the white trim and floor amazingly. Colors from all of the rooms, including the light pink of the kitchen, reflected in its stare. The kitchen came with its appliances, including the brushed nickel dishwasher, microwave, and refrigerator. A window hung above the sink looking into the shared backyard with the neighbors.

_"At least that grass is well attended for" _you muttered, noticing.

Finally, you came back around to the living room, which connected to the kitchen on the far side of the room. Basically, you had just gone in a circle. You approached the stairs and cautiously went up.

~MEANWHILE~

"Awww Germany, stop it, she couldn't have done any harm!" Italy whined, "She was actually very nice, and you would have liked her if you met her!"

Italy continued talking, but Germany wasn't listening, he had too much to do to worry about some frivolous girl Italy had met. Besides, Italy always talked like this about a girl he just met, why should she be any different?

Germany hoisted Italy's bags into his BMW as Italy had gotten his license taken away due to his erratic driving so he needed to be picked up from the airport. Italy also said he could stay a few days to relax, which sounded like a nice change to him.

They both entered the car and drove away from the airport.

Italy, who hated silence, started talking of all the fanciful things he saw on his trip. Germany just concentrated on the road ahead of him while half listening/ watching Italy talk.

The ride was about a half-an-hour to Italy's house. Once they arrived, they both picked up their bags and made their way to the always open Italian house. Germany set his bags down in the guest room he stayed in when he visited, while Italy put his in his room upstairs. The house was bigger than most and was far away from the road. Ivy crawled up the white manors sides. The red roof situated on top sparkled in the dipping sun. Windows shone and were washed to perfection. He also had his own wine cellar behind the house that was a smaller version of the mansion. Trees lined the entrance and colorful flowers hung on the porch.

The guest room was quite big, at the left sat a king sized bed and nightstand. A dresser was in the corner. All of the furniture was cherry wood, and had hand carved designs on each one. The floor was a darker shade of cherry wood, and the walls were a medium shade of red. A private bathroom was to the right through a doorway. The floor and shower were fancily tiled and the countertops were made of expensive granite. All of the knobs in the room were made of sterling silver, and the sink was no exception.

Germany washed his face with cool water. He was tired from having his own flight to Italy. He dressed for bed, grabbed his book, and settled down for the evening. The soft sheets to the bed where enticing, and the fancy comforter poofed out when he sat down. He could hear Italy making dinner in the kitchen, but he wouldn't be eating it. He had dinner already, and wasn't hungry. As the sun set below the horizon, he turned his lamp on. After a few minutes though, the darkness got to him, and he started to close his eyes.

~BACK TO YOU~

As you got to the top of the stairs, you enter the door on the right .You assumed this was the guest bedroom It was small and had a closet to the left. You pulled the closet open, not expecting to see anything unusual. You were correct; it was empty. The carpet was the same as the living rooms and you found yourself digging your toes into the plush fabric. The walls were painted and orange that went with the house, and the trim was white. You exit the room and notice to your left of the hallway was a bathroom that the two bedrooms shared and, in fact, the only one in the house. You just peeked in and saw it looked much like the kitchen only it had blue walls. The walk in shower was at the far end. It was tiled light brown stone. The toilet was next to it and then the sink. The countertop was granite as well, and the cabinets where the same dark wood as the rest of the house and floor. The handles of everything were nickel to match the rest of the appliances. A small closet door was to the left to keep towels and other products in.

You left the room and continued to the end of the hallway. The master bedrooms door came into view and you opened it slowly. This room was easily the most beautiful out of all the rooms you had visited. The walls were painted a light cream, and the carpet was a dark blue. Shades covered the windows and you opened them. The windows looked down over the street, as if to keep guard. The white trim made everything fall into place in the medium sized room. The fan on the ceiling was, again, the dark brown wood. The light was transfixed to it and gave off a pretty glint.

You spun in a circle and landed on the plush blue carpet. You couldn't believe this was actually yours! You sat there deep in thought playing with the carpet. It was now dark outside and you knew it was late. Going downstairs to retrieve your bag, you took one last look at the place.

You opened your bag, and grabbed a can of pears.

_"What a gourmet dinner." _you thought sarcastically.

The pears were actually quite good, and you finished them off fast while admiring your surroundings. You set the can and plastic fork a few feet away and made a makeshift bed. Pulling out your blankets, you laid them on the ground, and bunched one up for pillow. Grabbing another, you looked at it. It was Feliciano's. You decided to look at it closer. It was a chocolate colored microfiber blanket that people use in the dead of winter to warm up after playing in the crisp snow. It oddly smelled of pasta, herbs and tomatoes, but you dismissed the thought. This is Italy after all. You set the blanket aside, grabbed a towel and went to the bathroom. After playing with the water for a few minutes, you achieved the perfect temperature of a hot shower.

You stepped out after your long shower and grabbed your towel. The towel dried you quickly, then you dressed for bed in an oversized t-shirt and pants. Your mint toothpaste tasted sweet and soon enough, you exited the room.

You laid down in you "bed" and took one last look before attempting sleep. After all, you did take a six hour nap one the way here. Finding a comfy spot curled underneath Feliciano's blanket, you found rest.

**Translations:**

**Italian**

Mi scusi signore, grazie per la coperta= Excuse me sir, thank you for the blanket

Manoscritto = Ms.


	2. Chapter 2: Brooms and Italians

Sighing, you got up. It was in fact early, but you wanted it no other way. Today was Saturday and it was time do the most fun thing in the world: cleaning! *sarcasm* You first needed to go to the store down the road to pick up a few things, and it would be long walk there.

You got dressed in a blue, summer top and khaki pants, brushed your teeth, put your sandals on, and left the house. The sunrise was beautiful. Beams of orange, pink, purple, and yellow streaked across the wide sky. You stood there a moment to just take it in. Slowly you stepped forward until you closed the gate to your yard and turned down the still empty street.

After about a twenty minute walk you made it to the store.

_"__FINALLY!"_ you thought pulling the handle.

And guess what? It was locked!

_"__Ugh just great." _you muttered, searching for the hours.

The hours were in Italian, but you managed to figure out that they opened at 9am. Looking at your phone it was 7:14am. You had two hours to kill. You turned and sat down on the curb outside the store. It was cold and damp from the morning dew. Inside the stores surrounding the market, people were setting up for another day of business. Stands for colorful fruit were also being set up. One stand caught your eye. An old lady was setting up her fabrics, obviously struggling to put the roof up. You walked over and, being a foot taller than the old woman, set the roof up for her.

"Oh grazie Dearie" She said, cracking her back.

You returned, "Nessun problema!" Hoping that was correct.

Obviously you were, because she smiled and turned your face both ways while squeezing your cheeks.

"Such a beautiful girl," she said, "But I haven't seen you around here before, what's your name, Dearie? Your foreign that's for sure, your Italian is rusty."

_"__God, does everyone know English here? Why did I bother to learn Italian_?" you thought, a little ticked.

"Yes, I just accepted my first job here; I'm originally from (y/c) and my name is (f/n)(l/n)." You said, replying to the curious lady's questions.

In this time she returned to her work while listening. You took the time to observe her.

She wore a long, purple skirt, which was clearly pleated. Her sandals were brown, and twisted in a funny knot. Her toenails were painted a teal color, and so were her fingernails. She wore a bright yellow shirt, her back hunched, indicating she had slouched when she was younger. She wore a purple fabric over her head with jingly beads tied around it. Her gray hair was pulled in a high ponytail, and was as straight as a pin. It went down to about 2 inches from her hips. In other words, she looks like a fortune teller that you see in movies, only older. You giggled at the thought.

"Do you need any more help setting up…uh…" you said fading. You had no idea what to call her!

As if reading your mind she responded, "Call me Suzanne, Dearie. And yes, I would love some help if you don't mind."

"I have plenty of time to spare, what would you like help with?"

"It would be lovely if you started by finishing the stand." She said opening a chest, "How much would you liked to be paid?"

You shook your head violently, "No charge Suzanne, I don't mind helping."

"Oh good." she said sighing and sitting down in a fold up chair. "Thank you Dearie."

You nodded and started pulling the wooden stand together.

"So why are you out so early in the morning, (f/n)?" she asked

You tied the small rope to the side and connected the side of the shack to the top. "Well I was going to the store to get cleaning supplies; the apartment I'm renting is filthy."

"Ah yes, old Larry who runs the store always sleeps in before he opens the store, It always ends up opening later than promised."

"Is that so? Then I guess I will be waiting even longer." You said with a smile. You had just finished tying the two rickety sides of the shack together with the back and roof.

_"__Almost done."_ You thought.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." She said chuckling, "But most stores will be open by then. I encourage you to look around; there are so many pretty things around this time of year!"

You just nodded while putting the finishing touches on the shack.

"Here you are ma'am; your stand is set up." You said, sitting on the ground next to her.

"I'll have none of that!" she said, raising her voice. "Ma'am is such a polite term, I hate it. Please, just call me Suzanne."

That startled you, but at the end the both of you were laughing. From this moment on, you knew the two of you would be good friends.

It was 8:30 by the time all of this had gone down, so you continued talking to the kind lady. She told you all about her younger life. She had traveled the world to see everything, and came back to Ferrara to settle down and run her own business. She went to many different countries including Germany, China, Japan, America, Russia, England and even France. By that time you had lost count and just listened intently as she described the scenery. She said she even got to see a personified country! Surprise surprise, It was none other than Feliciano! She described in detail the man excitedly. You already had seen the man, but you didn't want to blow out the lady's pride, so you sat and listened.

Finally, a guy walked out of the market and turned his dirty sign to open.

"I had better get going, I have a lot of cleaning to do" you said politely.

"Come back anytime, Dearie."

And with that you stood up and left.

You walked into the small store. It was pretty much a gas station market with the exception of gas. Rows of junk food hung up and drinks were situated and the far side of the room. Why they had such a variety, you would never know. You looked at the guy near the counter. His hair was dark brown and he had the classic Italian mustache attached to his face. He wore a black cap that read: "Andare a prendere loro!" on the front. His apron was discolored and worn from use, but underneath he wore freshly cleaned clothes. He wore a pale, blue striped button up shirt which was rolled up to his elbows. His pants were of the dark jean variety. The counter blocked his shoes, but whenever he moved they made a squeak against the freshly polished floor. The floor was red tiled and the walls were a boring eggshell white.

Strolling through the aisles, you found the cleaning supplies. You recognized the familiar scent of bleach and chemicals. Grabbing window, wood, and carpet cleaner, you searched for the "utensils" you needed.

"Ah, here they are." You thought. They ended up being in the next isle.

You grabbed three rolls of paper towel, a new Swiffer, a mini vacuum, plus one duster.

Precariously balancing all of this in your hands, you made your way to the check out. The amount came to €46.48, (or about $60 U.S. dollars) which you pulled out of your purse. He gave you your groceries wrapped in plastic bags and wished you a good day.

Walking out of the store, you waved to Suzanne then turned towards home.

~Meanwhile~

Germany blinked his eyes open and looked at the clock. 8:30am it read. He had slept in more than he wanted to. Rolling over, he felt something next to him. He glanced over and found none other than Italy lying next to him.

Germany used Italy's name this time. "FELICIANO, GET OUT OF MY BED! WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE?!" He said, poking the Italian on the forehead.

Italy fell out of bed from the racket and started begging for forgiveness.

"WWAAAHHH, GERMANY I'M SO SORRY, I JUST HAD A BAD DREAM AND I GOT SCARED! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME, I'M A VIRGIN! YOU WOULDN'T KILL A VIRGIN WOULD YOU?!"

Feliciano talked so fast that Germany couldn't keep up. Instead of listening Germany face palmed and sat there while Italy panicked. Eventually, Italy calmed down and realized that Germany had used his real name.

"*GASP* Germany, are we using our names today!? Yay! Wait, I mean Ludwig, are we using our names today?"

Germany had had enough, "Sure Italy," He said giving up. "just please get out of my room."

Italy stood, and saluted, "Yes cap'n!" and walked out.

The now dubbed Ludwig for the day laid back down and rolled over, lying on his back. He stared at the textured ceiling for a few minutes then proceeded to get up.

He smoothed back his hair, but some loose strands stayed behind. He tucked them back and buttoned his white dress shirt. He next grabbed his dark brown trousers hanging on the chair in the corner of the room, and slid them on. He entered the bathroom and took a look at himself. His strong jaw line made him look strong and tough. His muscles moved under his shirt attractively. He swished a fuzzy away from his face, and then turned the cold water on. Grabbing a washcloth, he washed his face, dried it afterwards, and exited the room.

Italy was in his kitchen cooking breakfast with Japan.

"When did Kiku get here?" he unbeknownst said aloud.

Both of the men cooking jumped and turned around.

"Hello Ludwig-san, did you sleep well? Italy told me we are using our human names today, is this true?" Japan said with his thick Japanese accent.

"Ah...well...yes, I promised Italy" Germany muttered

"Oh, and to answer your questions Ludwig-san, I got here not long after you according to Ita-I mean Feliciano-san." I went to talk to you last night, but you had already gone to bed." Japan said.

Italy approached the table, "Time for breakfast!" He sang.

Italy had made pasta for his breakfast and for Germany a normal breakfast consisting of toast, an egg, and of course, sausage. Kiku had rice and some sort of mysterious sauce over top. Yes, these were his friends. Even though Germany wouldn't admit it, he liked it this way.

All three men sat and ate their breakfast, and when finished, they brought their dishes to the sink. Kiku said he would wash them, so both Italy and Germany thanked him. By this time it was 9am. Italy said that today was grocery day, and asked anyone if they needed anything. When no one responded, Feliciano left the house. Germany decided he would go out too; he was almost done with his novel and needed a new one. He told Kiku where he was off to and also left the house.

~BACK TO YOU~

You took time to admire the scenery on the way home. When you were heading towards the store it was too dark to see anything. But now, the shops and stands were full of life and lively with business. Starting by watching the shops, you noticed they all looked very similar to Suzanne's. They were set up with bright colors to attract as much business as possible. Some sold fruit, some sold jewelry or other goods. People chatted in quick Italian and kids wandered the street. A lot of people waved and said good day to you, and you smiled and returned the favor. You loved this place, people were so happy, couples snuggled, and business goers bought their goods. Now you concentrated on the legitimate stores behind the stands. They immediately reminded you of Romeo and Juliet, which you were forced to read in high school. The buildings were old, but charmingly intricate. Lovers, babies and women were carved into pillars and trim. Some places were made of marble, and others of panels. The windows were magnificently stained and reflected in rainbows on the street.

You rounded a corner and ran into something solid that made a weird "Ve" noise. Falling onto the ground, your groceries fell from your hands and spilled onto the street.

"WAH, I'M SO SORRY!" said the thing you ran into.

_"__Wait, I recognize that voice and accent." _You thought looking up. "Feliciano?! Is that really you?!" you asked the Italian who was helping pick up your groceries.

The man gasped loudly, "Manoscritto! It's you again!"

By then your groceries were back in their bags and Feliciano helped you stand.

"Feliciano, I thought I would never see you again! Do you live around here or something?" you asked.

"Yeah! Actually I live 5 minutes from here, why?" he responded.

"Uh...because you're here?"

"Oh…right…So do you live near here?" the Italian asked.

"It's about a 15 minute walk from here; I walked here to get groceries. My new apartment is a mess, that's why it's all cleaning supplies"

"So you're just moving here?"

"Yes, I just got a job near here."

"What do you think so far?"

"It's beautiful" you responded, "Um Feliciano? Would you like to come to my apartment? My load is heavy, and I'd like to drop them off. Plus, I have to clean."

"Well, I was just going shopping, we ran out of pasta and tomatoes. I was on my way to pick them up. I HAVE AN IDEA! Do you want to meet for lunch?"

"Sure, where should we meet?"

"Would you just like to meet at this corner at….12pm?"

"Sounds lovely, see you then" You said.

With that you and the cute Italian split paths to meets at 12.

You left the house and started on the way home. You passed more shops, but you weren't concentrating anymore, you were too excited for lunch! You noticed a bookstore on you left, saw a man exit and start to walk toward you. His blond hair was slicked back and he had a white dress shirt. As you got closer, you noticed his strikingly light blue eyes and strong jawline. Your heart thumped.

_"__Is that the guy Feliciano joined with yesterday?"_ You couldn't quite tell, the day before you were too far away to tell. But he obviously had the same effect on you as Feliciano's companion.

"No way that's him, I'm just imagining things" you thought shaking your head, dismissing your thought.

Continuing on your expedition, you thought about Feliciano the whole way back home.

~MEANWHILE~

Germany walked to the local bookstore down the road. The man there welcomed him, seeing as Germany went here almost every time he visited his friend's home. Wandering down the aisles slowly, he skimmed the titles of colorful books in stock. He found the novel section and grabbed a random one. It wasn't one he read yet, so it was worth reading. He checked the book out and left the store. The German decided that he would continue to the market, maybe Italy was still there.

He turned left, the way to the market just in time to see a women walk past him. She wore khaki pants and a swaying blue summer top. Her (h/s) (h/c) hair blew in the breeze and as he passed her, she smelled of lilac perfume. The girl was also carrying grocery bags, and strangely, a duster, Swiffer, and a small vacuum. She was simply divine. He felt his heart pound inside his chest.

_"__What the hell?"_ he thought.

He shrugged to himself and continued to track down Italy, his heart slowly calming down.

~BACK TO YOU~

You unlocked the door to your house and entered, closing the blue door behind you. You had about two hours before you had to meet Feliciano. That means two hours to clean as much as you can. Turning on your iPod, you started in the living room by cleaning the window. It was disgusting. Dust and dirt covered the surface and mold grew in the cracks and corners. Taking the window cleaner and paper towel, you scrubbed the windows in a circular motion. The grim came off surprisingly well and you looked out the window at the circle you cleared. The neighborhood was busy for the first time. Old couples walked the street and some teenagers rode their bikes past your apartment.

You finished the large window and moved to the dining room to clean that window. It was way taller than you, and you realized you would need a ladder.

_"__Maybe the neighbors have one."_ you thought

You exited your door, went through your gate and the neighbors, and knocked on the neighbor's door. Their house was coral pink and the door was green. It was pleasant and very clean. They answered the door quickly.

"Uh…Non si dispone di una scala che posso prendere in prestito?" You asked choppily.

"Yes, we have one inside, come on in." She said, in English.

_"__Seriously?! What the hell did I learn Italian for? Everyone here knows English!"_ You fumed thinking to yourself. It was obvious people knew you were from a different country, so they just switched to English.

Coming into the lady's house, you closed the door after you while she went looking for the ladder. It was beautiful. The house lay out was identical to yours, but she had much prettier shades of color on the walls. They were all shades of blue than slowly transitioned between rooms. The furniture was cream colored and a man sat on the couch reading a newspaper. He sensed you looking and looked up at you through his square glasses. You glanced away quickly, and once he returned to his reading, you watched him again. The front of his black hair was starting to turn grey, indicating he was probably in his mid-forties. What surprised you about this man was the fact that he was clean shaven. Most men here tended to have facial hair, or at least, that's what you have noticed over time. He was wearing light colored jeans and a black button up shirt on. That fact didn't surprise you. You continued looking at the colorful flowers and pictures in the house. One picture caught your eye. It had the man and women along with a soldier in the picture. The soldier was in his uniform and smiled strongly at the camera. You guessed it was the couple's son.

The Lady returned to look through another closet in the living room. Sighing, you decided to ask about the language used in this small town.

"Excuse me Ms.? Does everyone here speak English?"

The lady, who left the living room to search for the ladder in a different room, returned with it. "Most people know it for business, but some don't. It also depends on your schooling. Some schools around here have you learning by 3rd grade." She laughed, "I can tell you're a little mad about that, am I correct?"

You mentally kicked yourself for letting it be noticed, "Yeah, I just tried to learn Italian as best as I could before I came. It was hard and now that I'm here it looks like i don't even need it."

The lady smiled, "Haha dear, theres a time and place for everything. If you need anything else, just swing by. What's your name hun?"

"(f/n)(l/n) ma'am."

"My name is Clarice, nice to make your acquaintance."

"Thank you again for the ladder Clarice ." You said and let yourself out.

Clarice waved at you through her sparkling windows, her long, curly, brown hair falling in her face. She looked to about mid-forties too, and her purple top and jeans hid behind her apron. Clarice's eyes were dark brown, and full of wisdom. With a last glance, she turned around and went back to what she had been doing.

You got back to work immediately. If you worked fast, you could get the downstairs done before lunch.

While jamming to your music, you got done efficiently. You cleaned the windows, vacuumed the dust out of the floor, and wiped the wood. You however, no matter how much you scrubbed, could not get the picture frame stain off of the wall. You moved to the staircase, cleaning its wood while moving up. At the top you checked the time. It was 11:30 already! Halting your cleaning process, you went into the bathroom. You freshened up, put your hair in a quick bun, picked up your purse, and scrambled out of the house. At this rate, you would be at the corner just in time to meet Feliciano.

**Key**

(y/c)= your country

(f/n)=first name

(l/n)=last name

(h/s)= hair style

(h/c)= hair color

**Translations:**

**Italian**

Oh grazie dearie = oh thank you dearie

nessun problema= No problem

andare a prendere loro=Go get them!

Manoscritto = Ms.

Non si dispone di una scala che posso prendere in prestito? = Do you have a ladder that I can borrow?


	3. Chapter 3: It's The Pasta Life

On the way to the corner, you made a mental list of what you still needed to clean when you got home.

"Let's see, there was dusting the downstairs, cleaning the kitchen in general and all of the upstairs." you thought.

Hopefully, if you finished that, you could paint tomorrow. You definitely wanted to finish as much as you could, your free time was dwindling with work starting on Monday.

You made it to the corner, but Italy wasn't there yet. You sat down on the sun warmed pavement. It was comfortably warm, probably in the mid 70's. Yes, you could get used to spring in Italy quite well.

Colorful people walked past you, laughing and having a good time. Others were grump that they got ripped off or they got a terrible deal.

~MEANWHILE~

Germany walked to the colorful market in search of Italy. People walked along carrying their newly bought products. Stand clerks were enticing people to buy their products. Germany didn't need knew the exact store Italy would be in. He was always in the market, picking up pasta and tomatoes. He turned toward the corner the store was located on and strolled toward the small shop.

Finding the Italian was a synch, as his hair stuck out like a sore thumb. Germany walked over to him.

"Hey Ita- Feliciano" he said, almost forget about the "real name game".

Italy however, was on top of it, "Hi Ludwig! What are you doing here?"

"After you left I went to the bookstore to pick up another novel, and then decided to meet you here."

"How'd you know where to find me?"

"You're always here picking up pasta and tomatoes." The German reasoned.

"….RRRIIIIGGGHHHTTT! Ludwig, you know me too well!" The Italian chimed, "Well I'm just about done here, is there anything you need before we check out?"

"I don't believe so…" The blue eyed man said, putting his hand on his chin to think.

"Alrighty, Let's go!" Italy said twirling to face the other direction.

They checked out and spent a fair amount of time talking to the clerk. Germany couldn't keep up; they were talking too fast in Italian. Instead he just looked around until they were finished, finding himself thinking about the girl he had passed on the street earlier. Soon he caught himself and shook his head, clearing the frivolous thoughts away. Luckily, not long after, Italy was done and they left the store.

"Hey Ludwig?" Italy questioned

"Yes?"

"After I drop these groceries off, guess where I'm going!"

The German, who didn't really care, responded, "Where?" just to be polite.

"I'm going to lunch with the girl I was talking to at the airport! We accidently ran into each other earlier and I invited her to lunch!"

"Oh great, here we go again." Germany muttered.

"What was that Ludwig?" Italy asked, not hearing the German.

He responded quickly, "Nothing."

Italy continued, but Germany wasn't listening, he had more pressing matters than the Italian's mystery woman.

They made it home, and Germany put the groceries away while Italy rushed upstairs to get ready for his lunch date. Afterwards Germany grabbed his new novel and started to read it.

A half an hour later, just as Germany was going to go upstairs and make sure Italy was still alive, Italy came downstairs. He had taken a shower, but wore the same clothes; Germany wasn't sure why he was fussing so much, it was just lunch. Plus, the girl and Italy had just met, no way in hell they were dating yet.

He decided to ask, even though it probably wasn't a good idea to pry. "Italy, do you happen to like this girl quite a bit? You two just met, did you not?"

The Italian cocked his head, then smiled "I always get dressed this way if I meet someone for a meal, even if it's a guy!" he said proudly. "And, yes, I consider her a very good friend already! The more friends the better, right?"

"Just friends. Good," Germany thought, "if he gets too involved he'll skip training or worse."

With that Italy smiled and left the house.

On the way to the corner Italy took a deep breath. Sighing, he took in the scent of bread, wine, and roses. Ferrara was always beautiful this time of year. His curl bounced as he walked. The corner was now in sight, and so was the girl.

~BACK TO YOU~

You saw Feliciano approach you, so you stood up and wiped the road dust off of your bum. His hair was slightly damp, so he must've taken a shower. He wore the same clothes and a bright white smile that could make anyone's day. His hands were in his pockets and he fidgeted slightly.

"Hiya Manoscritto!" He sung.

"Hi Feliciano!" you replied.

Feliciano took your arm in his and lead you to a nearby restaurant.

The waiter seated you at a table outside by the busy streets. The restaurant had a black fence around its outside seating area which glistened in the sun. Bright red roses were situated at the top of each post, giving off their mouth watering fragrance. Other couples or families sat and talked pleasantly. Green, white, and red umbrellas protected the tables from the sun.

Feliciano pulled out a chair for you which you gladly say in. You thanked him as he took a seat across from you.

The Italian was quiet from a moment, then his eyes lit up.

"Hey I just realized I don't even know your name! You asked for mine at the airport, but I never asked yours!"

You laughed at his enthusiasm, "My name is (f/n)(l/n)."

He sighed, "Ve...Thats such a pretty name!"

You blushed slightly, "Thank you Feliciano"

His face lit up even more, if that was possible, "You can call me Feli if you want, Feliciano is kinda long, dontcha think?"

You just smiled and nodded.

The waiter brought out two waters for you and Feli, and you took a sip.

Feli was the first one to break the now noticeable silence, " So bella, What job did you move here for?"

"It's not much, but I'm working at a restaurant. While doing that, I'll try to find more of a legit job like what I went to college for."

"Oh...sounds complicated" was Feli's response.

"Yeah, I guess. I already met my boss before I came here, He's a real pain in the culo if you know what I mean."

This was true, as you had to be interviewed over Skype. Your boss basically looked like a pig. He was very pudgy with a big nose and red face. He had a curly mustache, and when you skyped him, he was wearing a chef's hat. He had been nice when the interview had started, but as the meeting progressed his temper became short. You don't really know what for, you answered all of his questions thoroughly and acted like a good person for him to employ. You could tell from then that this job wasn't going to be the easiest.

Not noticing you zoned out for a little, Feli was ranting about pasta.

You came back to your sentences and tried to catch up to his fast, excited chatter.

"Oh and Linguini is also one of my favorites along with Lasagna, Spaghetti, Macaroni, Pellizzoni, Fusilli, Tagliatelle..."

He continued listing off pasta until the waiter came back around. He asked if we were ready to order and, apparently, Feli had been there before and knew exactly what to get. You, however had no idea!

"Uh...Feli I have no idea what to get..."

"Shall I choose for you, Bella?"

"I think that would be best." You replied

So, with that, Feliciano Ordered two of the same dish, talking in fast Italian with the waiter.

You two continue your light chat until the food was brought out to you. Feli said something to the waiter smiling, and the waiter laughed, then left.

The plates were piping hot, showing the waiters good performance. The gentle ringlets of steam rolled upward and slowly faded, blending with the air. The pasta as the next thing you noticed. Delicate noodles were spread across the plate. An intricate design of sauce was displayed around the noodles, and on top. It was a green color, which meant it was most likely pesto. The main sauce that the noodles were wrapped in was a creamy white. Suddenly, you felt your appetite catch up with you, and you realised you skipped breakfast. Needless to say your mouth watered.

Feliciano, saw this, giggled, put his napkin on his lap, said, "Buon appetito!"and dug in.

You followed his example and took your first bite.

It was delicious! The flavor tasted like a combination of herbs, cheese, and just enough garlic. That in combination with the cheese filled Tortellini made it taste heavenly.

You must have made a noise because Feli laughed at you. You in return blushed a bit and continued eating more self consciously.

Feliciano would occasionally say something and you would respond, but no big conversations popped up. The two of you were more concentrated on the food ahead of you.

You finished only half of it before you were stuffed. Feliciano however ate the whole plate. Now THAT surprised you. For lack of a better word, the petite man had a not-so-petite appetite.

After he finished he looked at your plate and noticed you hadn't eaten it all.

"Would you like a box for that Bella?" He said.

"Actually, yes, that would be lovely." you said.

That meant you wouldn't have to eat canned pears for dinner again. Yes!

The waiter soon came back holding a box and the receipt. You pulled out your purse to pay for your half, but Feli stopped you and insisted on paying for it. You thanked him kindly, grabbed your box of leftovers, and left the restaurant with him.

Feli again grabbed your arm again to escort you back to the corner. This time you passed Suzanne and her jaw dropped. Then she gave you the look of "You're going to tell me everything tomorrow" and you returned by giving her the look of "I will gladly tell you tomorrow" while walking past her stand.

You two talked about a variety of things until you came back to the corner where you met earlier. You looked at your watch, and it read 1:30pm. Plenty of time to clean everything with time to spare.

Felciano turned to you, "Sometime you should come back to my house! Then you can meet Kiku and Ludwig! I'm sure they would love you."

You must have had a questioning look on you face because Feli responded, "Just like I represent Italy, Kiku represents Japan and Ludwig represents Germany."

You gaped, "I-I well uh...um...ok" you said stunned.

Most people don't even meet one representative, let alone three!

Feliciano just laughed and his face brightened, "Hey, you want to come right now?! I have nothing going on today, oh wait you have to clean..." His face dimmed.

"I can come If you really want me to." You said without thinking. Actually, you didn't mind, you still had plenty of time to clean. After all, it was only midday, right?

His face returned to its cheery self. "REALLY?! THATS GREAT! C'MON BELLA!" He sung while pulling on your arm excitedly.

After practically being carried to his house, you arrive to his gate. The first thing you realise: DAMN, HE'S RICH!

"Do all countries live like this?" you gaped.

The gate in front of his house was very tall, made of a gold colored iron, and had the initials "F.V." on them. The base of the fence was made of red bricks, and surrounded the entire yard. It also blocked most of the view of the house, so you would have to wait to see it until the gates were pried open. Feli went to open the gate.

"Some 'countries' have more modest homes because they prefer it, but this lifestyle suits me. After all, I AM Italian." Feliciano said, smiling.

The gate suddenly jerked, and slowly opened revealing the magnificent house on the inside. The giant white stone house sat a good distance away. Dark green Ivy crawled up the sides, and the classic red Italian roof was situated on top. A fountain sat in the clearly well groomed yard. Squat bushes lined the road to the manor, while plentiful fruit trees and grapevines lined the inside of the gate. The drive by the house formed an "O", so you could drive in and out of the residence with ease. A red Ferrari and a BMW sat at the top of the "O" shaped drive, near the house.

Felciano just watched you take in your surroundings with pleasure.

"Come, it gets better inside!" He smiled and grabbed your hand.

The two of you walked slowly towards the house while looking at the environment around you. Feli stopped you at the fountain, and you both looked at your reflections in the glass-like water. The fountain was about double your height. It was carved from a gray stone, and a handful of coins shone at the bottom. Water spurted from the top and fell into the pool at the bottom.

Continuing your walk with Feli, you could see the house more clearly. It was definitely cleaned regularly. The windows sparkled and the stone of the house hadn't even one smudge on it. Rose bushes were tucked up next to the house, and matched the bright red Ferrari. Outside of the manor smelled lovely due to all of the plants. The Mansions front door was painted to match the roof, and had warped glass on the top half. Situated behind the house there was a small forest that rose above the manor.

You must have been making an awe-stuck face because Feliciano laughed, "Have you never been to a manor before, Bella?"

"Yes, but not nearly as beautiful as this!" You said, finding your voice.

"Grazie, Bella! Though half of this is Kiku's doing."

"Let me get this straight. A different country takes care of your lawn?" You said, a little confused.

"Kiku does it on his own free will, he likes nature..." Feli said, fading off.

The two of you stood there for a bit. Unexpectedly you saw something move out of the corner of your eye , so you turned to look. Too late! A cute kitty popped of the bushes and attacked you ankle.

"Pookie!" The Italian said, picking up the cat. The cat clearly loved her owner, rubbing her head against Feli's face lovingly.

"(f/n), this is my cat, Pookie!"

"SHES SO CUTE!" You exclaimed, petting the fuzzy cats head.

The cat was average size for a cat and had warm, light brown fur. You squished her paw and she licked you. You and Feli giggled, then Feli put the cat down and Pookie ran away.

Feliciano grabbed your arm again, and the two of you walked to his front door.

"Ready?" He asked excitedly.

"Whenever you are!" you responded smiling sweetly.

Feliciano went up to the door, opened it, grabbed your hand, and led you inside.

Key

(f/n)= first name

(l/n)=last name

Translations:

Italian

Manoscritto= Ms.

Bella= Beautiful

Culo= ass


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting the German

The inside of the house was magnificent! The front foyer had cherry wood flooring and cream colored walls. Italian paintings hung on the walls and a grand chandelier hung from the high ceiling. A coatrack stood in the corner next to a shoe stand, in which shoes were nicely aligned. Slightly to the right was a spiraling staircase that matched the floor, which rose to the second level of the manor. To the far right there was a tightly shut door, and then past that, what looked to be a study. On the left there was a giant living room, but you couldn't see inside of it that well. Straight ahead there was a long hallway that leads to the center of the house.

While you were marveling at the house, Feliciano took his shoes off and set them in the cubby. You followed suit and took yours off as well. You were so concentrated on undoing your shoe buckles that you didn't see the other man step into the room.

"Ciao Kiku!" Feli said.

You looked up at the stranger.

The man was very short, maybe shorter than you with hair as black as the night. His dark brown eyes sparkled with shyness. He wore a purple kimono and had on that kind of Japanese sock that has a separate place for your big toe. He had a broom in his hand.

"Hello Feliciano-san, may I ask who this is?" He asked politely, in a heavy Japanese accent.

"Kiku, I would like you to meet (f/n)(l/n)!" Feli said cheerily.

Kiku bowed, "Nice to meet you f/n) –san, I'm Kiku Honda. Would you like some tea?"

"Oh, um, sure..." you said.

"So this is the personification of Japan. Huh." You thought. It didn't surprise you; he looked very much like the people from his country, and talked like them too.

Kiku lead you through the main hallway that went to the center of the house.

"Kiku, where's Ludwig?" Feliciano asked.

"You just missed him. He went out for a bit, but he didn't say where he was going. " Kiku answered

"AAAWWW I wanted him to meet (f/n)!" Feli said, disappointed. Then he perked up again, "That means (f/n) will have to come here again!" He smiled at you, "Right, Bella?"

You really didn't know what to say, Feliciano was a good friend, but you didn't want to feel like a burden at all.

Kiku must have sensed the mood, and your thoughts, "We would be happy to have you." He smiled weakly.

You nodded and watched the surroundings you past as you went down the hallway. The walls were the same color, and more paintings and pictures hung on the wall. You passed one that caught your eye. There was Feli, Kiku, and the guy you passed on the street earlier this morning! The pieces suddenly all fit together, and you really wanted to meet this man now.

You passed another photo of Feli with a guy that looked quite like him. There were a few differences though. His hair was darker, the curl was on the opposite side of the head, and it pointed up, not down like Feliciano's.

"That's my brother, Lovino Vargas, or better known as Romano or the southern part of Italy." Feli said, noticing your interest in the photo.

Another photo you passed had a little child in it, the kid looked like Feli, but he/she was wearing a dress. The kid sat next to a piano, where a dark haired man played. The man eyes were shut clearly lost in his music. His dark blue jacket was askew and a little blurred, indicating he was moving at the moment the camera caught the photo. He also had a mole on his face near his mouth, and a weird cowlick /curl sticking from his also stood a beautiful woman in the background. She wore a green maid dress, and her long, wavy, light brown hair fell around her shoulders, following the contour of her body. A little boy was also there, he had blond hair and dark blue eyes. The boy wore a black cape and a black hat that looked too big for him.

"That's me when I was little, the man at the piano is Roderick Edelstein, and the Women is Elizaveta Hedervary, or Austria and Hungary. The little boy was the Holy Roman Empire; I haven't seen him for a LONG time." Feliciano said.

You, knowing your history, knew that The Holy Roman Empire had been deceased for quite some time. If Feli didn't know, you did want to tell him if the boy was his childhood friend.

You three of you continued down the hallway, passing a door every so often on either side until you reached the kitchen.

~MEANWHILE~

Germany had read for about thirty minutes before he got restless. The novel he picked up was boring for even him, and that's saying something.

He marked his page, set the book down, and set out to find Kiku.

Kiku was in the kitchen, making tea. "Kiku, I'm going out for a bit."

Kiku looked up, somehow knowing that Germany was approaching before he entered the room. "Alright, Will you be back for supper?"

"Yes, I'll only be gone for a short while."

With that, He left the kitchen, put his military outfit on, grabbed a water bottle, and left the house. It never hurt to train more, especially if you have nothing to do. He went out by Italy's backyard and jumped the fence, leaving him on the edge of the woods.

He knew exactly where he was going. There was a clearing in the woods to the left that was perfect for his training. The German crunched on twigs and branches that lay dead on the ground as he walked.

The wind was light and warm, and blew around the dead leaves underneath the tall trees. Making it to the clearing, he set his water bottle down. It was windier here; the tall trees that once blocked the wind were no longer in service. The tall grass and branches swayed with every gust of wind. Germany looked up to confirm his suspicion. As he guessed, clouds were starting to roll in.

"Looks like I won't be here long." He thought, as he starting running laps.

~BACK TO YOU~

The three of you walked into the ridiculously large kitchen. The cupboards around the kitchen were the nice cherry wood like the flooring of the manor. An island was situated right in the middle of the kitchen, and had a vase of the roses from the front of the manor. Beautiful marble countertops covered the cabinets, and went nicely with the stainless steel appliances.

Kiku grabbed three Japanese styled tea cups from the cupboards, which matched the teapot he pulled from the stove. He poured the pre made tea into the cute teacups. He set one in front of you first, the Feliciano and finally, himself.

"Thank you." You said to Kiku.

Italy was about to say something when a strong gust of wind blew over the house, making it creak.

"WAAAHHH!" Feli flipped out.

"Calm down, Feliciano-san!" Japan sort of yelled.

"Sounds like there's a storm brewing." You said, going to look out the window.

Sure enough, clouds were rushing through the sky, covering the blue sky that was there before.

"I hope Ludwig-san doesn't get caught in the rain," Kiku thought aloud, "his car is still in the driveway so he couldn't have gone far."

You went back to where you were standing before, still carrying your leftovers from lunch.

"May I put these in your refrigerator so they don't get warm?"

"Sure, Bella!"

You put the contents in the never-run-out-of-space refrigerator and closed the door. You turned to sit back down in your spot when Kiku spoke up."

"Come, let's sit down in the living room, it'll be more comfortable." Kiku said, grabbing his teacup.

Italy and you grabbed your teacups and followed the Japanese man to the living room you passed earlier. Once inside, you got a better look at it.

The living room was very ornate and old styled, but fit in wonderfully. The wallpaper was made from a rich, luxurious, red fabric. A gold and glass chandelier hung in the middle of the room. Two red and gold couches surrounded a large table underneath the chandelier. A chair that matched the couches sat in the corner on your right. The pattern on the couches and chair was intricate; it looked like swirls mixed in with vertical stripes. The table was glass, and matched the lighting of the room well. A piano that looked unplayed sat in the left corner. On the far right there was a glass door that led to another room, which you guessed was the dining room. On the left wall was a large granite fireplace that was empty. A shelf sat about it, and pictures decorated it. A lamp sat in the corner straight to your left, its shade made out of the same fabric of the couches and chair. On the far wall of the room hung a painting of a beautiful girl next to twisting grapevines. The lamp along with the chandelier gave off a soft dim glow, making the room not too bright. Pookie was somehow magically there, lazing on the soft, cream colored carpet.

Japan sat on the couch to the right of the table, while Feliciano took the one opposite of that.

Feli patted the couch next to him, inviting him to sit next to him. You took the offer and sat down on the plush couch next to him. The couch was soft and you sunk deep into the cushions.

"So, (f/n)-san, where are you from, you don't sound Italian." Kiku said, shyly taking a sip of his steaming tea.

"I moved from (y/c), my first job is a restaurant down the street." You said, trying a sip of tea. It burned your mouth, but you managed to gulp it down instead of spitting it out.

"Ah…" Kiku said thinking, "How do you like it so far?"

"It's lovely, but my apartments a mess right now." You said, rubbing the back of your head.

You watched Feliciano try to take a sip of his tea, but his was still hot. He burned his mouth like you and waved his hands by his mouth, showing it was hot. You giggled.

That's when the rain came. It started lightly, then the pace steadily picked up until it was pouring. The giant raindrops hit the roof at full speed and made a loud noise.

"OH NO! LUDWIGS OUT IN THE RAIN!" Feli exclaimed, rubbing his burnt tongue. "WE NEED TO FIND HIM!" Feli stood up.

Kiku flinched at Feliciano's display. "Ita-Feliciano-san he will be fine, knowing him he brought an umbrella and will be back shortly." The black haired man reasoned.

"Why did he change names?" You thought, but quickly dismissed it.

"I guess you're right…" Italy said, sitting back down.

A bright flash lit up the room, then a few seconds later an ear piercing boom. That shut the three of you up for a moment.

That's when it hit you; you had to get home yourself! You didn't have an umbrella, and you walked there!

Kiku saw your panicked face. "What's wrong (f/n)-san?"

"I didn't bring an umbrella with me, it was sunny when I left the house and now…" you faded off.

"Well, Italy currently has his license taken away," the Japanese man looked at the sorry Italian, "So he can't give you a ride home. We could wait for Ludwig to be back, and he could give you a ride home. Are you busy the rest of the day?"

"Well, I still have some of my apartment to clean, but other than that, no." You replied.

It was around 3:30pm now, so you still had enough time to clean.

"Will you have enough time to still finish?" Kiku inquired.

"I should, I don't have to work until Monday, so I can stay up late if need be."

"That's good, then we can w-"Kiku got cut off by the back slider being opened.

A voice rang through the halls of the house. "Hey Kiku, could you grab me a towel?"

~MEANWHILE~

Germany had run a few laps before darker clouds rolled in. He decided he could stay until it started sprinkling. A little water wouldn't hurt, and it normally sprinkled for a while before a good soaking came. He ran another lap before deciding to do some push-ups, then pull-ups.

He thought about a bunch of different things while training. They say that your mind cleared while you work out, but Germany was never lucky enough for that to happen to him.

A giant gust of wind nearly knocked him over. His country almost never got this kind of weather, so it startled him a bit. He continued anyway, dismissing the weather. The trees swayed with the angry wind and leaves twirled.

After a few minutes, the first raindrop hit Germany's cheek. It ran down his face then proceeded to fall off and hit the ground. The raindrop was pretty good sized, and was cold against his sweaty body. A second hit him, then a third. Before he could think much of it, the rain came down heavier and heavier until it was a complete downpour. Instinctively, the blue eyed German put his arms over his head, and went to grab his water bottle.

Germany ran back through the clearing and through the forest. He made it to the gate and attempted to climb it, but his hands and the gate were slicked with the pouring rain. Trying to think of another way up the gold and brick fence, he looked at it. Meanwhile, and he not thinking of this, Germany was being soaked. His muscles shone through his black tank top and his army pants clung to him with every move. His nicely combed back blonde hair was falling out and stuck in his wet face. Pushing his hair back, he made another attempt to climb the gate, but in a different way. The German had more success this time and slowly climbed his way over the fence. He slipped a couple of times, but easily regained his grip and continued on.

He walked through the well cared for back lawn, actually taking his time. The rain felt good; it rinsed off the sweat from his forehead and arms. Once under the balcony overhanging the back porch, he turned to watch the rain. It still came down heavy and steady. The leaves on the trees bounced from the impact, and the bushes did the same. The surface of the birdbath that sat in the middle of the lawn rippled at a very fast pace. Obviously was going to overflow before the rain stopped. Italy's tomato plants were getting a good soaking. Germany didn't know why he even had them, seeing as they didn't produce enough fast enough for the Italian's appetite. Maybe it had something to do with Romano, the Italians brother. Italy's uncovered pool surface also rippled, it's clear surface being penetrated .The pool was situated toward the right of Feliciano's yard. The pool was a little extravagant for Germanys taste; he only needed the necessities for swimming. Brown slabs of rock made up the border, and instead of a diving board, a giant piece of the brown rock lurked over the pool. On the other side of the huge pool was another rock slab, water flowed over this piece though, creating a small, gentle waterfall. It was manually turned on, and wasn't on now. Instead, the heavy rainfall created its own waterfall which fell into the fancy pool.

On the left side of the yard was Italy's colorful garden. Hughes of all colors usually decorated the tops of the plants, but the rain either made the petals fall off or they had closed from no sun. Normally Kiku would take care of the garden, but sometimes Italy would help.

Germany turned to go inside, but realized he was soaked. He took his boots and socks off and set them on the covered porch to dry. Next he peeled his shirt off of his skin, wrung it out, then set it next to his boots. He would probably call for Kiku to grab him a towel; he didn't want to drip all over the house. The German was beginning to thoroughly regret not going inside once he saw the bad weather moving in.

Germany opened the back slider and called in to Kiku. "Hey Kiku, could you grab me a towel?"

He sat there for about a minute before Kiku came to the slider, taking a long look at the half naked, wet German.

"Ludwig-san, did you forget your umbrella?" The Japanese man inquired.

"I thought I would be able to do some training and be back by the time it started to rain. Looks like I was wrong. Besides, when I left, the skies were still clear. The storm moved in fast."

Kiku handed the towel over to Germany, who in turn started to dry himself off. Another flash brightened the sky, followed by a loud crack of thunder. Surprisingly, Italy didn't come yelping into the room.

"Was Italy still out for lunch? Did he get caught in the rain himself?" Germany wondered.

Kiku interrupted his thoughts, seeming to know what he was thinking.

"Feliciano-san is inside; he got home about an hour ago."

"So he didn't get caught in the rain?"

"Hai, he did not."

"Good, he would have dripped all over the house leaving you to clean it up."

Germany entered the house, drier that he was, but his pants were still stuck to him like glue.

"I'm going to go change, then throw these in the laundry." The German stated.

He walked down the all too familiar hallways of the house and to his room, which was handily next to the study. As he approached the corner by the living room, he heard Italy talking. This wasn't a strange occurrence, the Italian always talked to himself. Or, More or less, made noises. But Germany then heard a melodic laugh after that echoed through the halls. It was as beautiful as tinkling bells, and this spiked his curiosity. He turned and looked into the vast living room. Italy was talking about an old memory, his hands flying about. Germany wasn't paying attention to him though; he stared at the girl next to him. His heart skipped a beat; it was the women he had passed earlier on the street!

Key

(f/n)=first name

(l/n)=last name

Translations

Italian

Bella= beautiful

Japanese

Hai=yes


	5. Chapter 5: Rained Out

Kiku rose from the couch to go and bring a towel to the mysterious voice.

"_That must be Ludwig."_ You thought.

Italy started where he left off, too interested in his conversation with you to go and see, who you were assuming to be, Ludwig. You decided to listen to him, but only caught the end.

"-and that's how I decided which pasta to choose!" Feli said enthusiastically.

He was about to blab about something else when a giant flash of light and a deafening crack of thunder shook the house.

Italy, in return, jumped onto your lap, cowering. Somehow, this didn't really surprise you that much, so you comforted the terrified Italian until he settled down. He went back to his spot on the comfortable couch while starting a new conversation.

"One time, when I was in training-" Feliciano said, being cut off by you.

"Training?"

"Oh, Ludwig makes me train with him almost every day, but this time, he said I could have the week off!"

You nodded and let the Italian continue.

"So, I was in training right? And, and Ludwig, he didn't see a log in front of him because he was yelling at me. So-so he tripped on the log and fell flat on his face!"

The Italian laughed really hard, and you giggled.

"So I of course laughed after I made sure he was ok and then he made me run another lap before dinner!" Feli made a pouty face, which you laughed at. He joined you, and the two of you sat there laughing until a figure watching you through the door caught your eye.

You turned to look, and saw the man that you had seen so many times, but never met. Now that you were closer to him you took in the man's handsome figure. His blond hair was soaked and some of the strands clung to his face while others hung in front. The blonde's startlingly blue eyes looked back deeply into your own. His chiseled jawline was strong and fierce. He was carrying his shirt which was dripping slightly, and his chest and arms glistened with raindrops. The man was probably the most muscular man you had ever seen. Every movement he made, his muscles bulged and moved in an attractive way. He had on a dark green pair of army pants which clung to his also muscular legs. The man, in addition to no shirt, was barefoot.

You, who had just noticed you were staring, looked away blushing. Feli also noticed you were looking at something and turned.

"LUDWIG, YOU'RE ALL WET!" The Italian exclaimed.

"Ja, ja, I know," the man said in a thick German accent, rubbing the back of his neck. A slight blush covered his cheeks. "I'm going to go get into the shower and change." And with that, the man walked away toward his room by the study.

Italy immediately turned back to you.

"As you know, that was Ludwig, but I would call him Germany if I were you, he prefers it."

"Then why do you call him Ludwig?" You asked, confused. You didn't think the Italian would go against the much larger man's wishes.

"He promised this morning that we could use our names! I was so happy!" The Italian practically sung.

You nodded and Kiku entered the room.

"Mr. Ludwig was very wet indeed." He said, sitting back down, "looks like he didn't remember his umbrella after all."

"POOR LUDWIG!" Feli exclaimed.

You could hear the water turning on in the distance, determining Germany was taking his shower. In addition to that a new bright light filled the room and dissipated. After a few moments the loud boom of thunder came, this time much closer. The noise shook the house, and the vibration reverberated through your whole body. This caused Feliciano to wine and shift in his seat. Seeing as you knew the Italian much better, you patted his head knowing he wouldn't think anything of it. He welcomed the pat and inched closer to you, enjoying each stroke.

You, Kiku, and Feliciano continued small talk until the shower turned off and the German re-entered the room.

~MEANWHILE~

Germany stared at the girl, taking in every feature. Her (h/s) (h/c) shone and glistened with every move she made. She sat sideways on the couch to face Italy. The girl laughed again, and after a moment, Feliciano joined too. He took in the laugh, savoring each note. Her eyes closed as she laughed, hiding her sparkling (e/c) orbs. He also noticed she was wearing the same outfit as earlier, and he could smell her lavender perfume from where he stood. The girl stopped laughing and looked him straight in the eyes, feeling his stare. Her eyes lingered on him for a while, before she noticed she was staring. She looked away blushing, and that's when he realized he was blushing as well. He mentally stabbed himself when Italy turned around.

"LUDWIG, YOU'RE ALL WET!" the Italian proclaimed.

"Ja, ja, I know, I'm going to get in the shower and change." He responded, before abruptly turning and leaving the room, hoping the girl didn't notice he was embarrassed.

The blue eyed man walked into his room next to the study. He grabbed his white dress shirt, brown trousers, and a pair of socks. He decided he could grab his tie later. The man closed the door to the bathroom and stripped out of his soaking clothes, placing each article into the sink so they didn't get the tiles soaked. He turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm up before entering.

Afterwards, he stepped out of the surprisingly pleasant shower and began dressing. The German wiped the foggy mirror with a Kleenex so he could see his reflection. His hair would have to be wait to be styled; it was too wet to style now. His fingers were pruned from being wet for so long. He began buttoning his shirt, taking his time to do each button right. He pulled his trousers and cushy socks on and headed out the door. He applied his deodorant and tied his nicely folded tie in a neat knot. He went back to the mirror and, with a satisfied grunt, walked out of his room.

Walking toward the living room, half of him hoped the girl had left; she made him feel uncomfortable. But something about her intrigued the German, even though they hadn't formally talked yet. Her smile seemed to brighten the room, and he could tell she could put anyone in a good mood.

To his liking and dismay, she was still sitting in the living room. She was making small talk with Kiku while stroking Italy's head soothingly. He felt a pang inside him. Jealousy maybe? He wasn't sure.

Kiku was the first to notice he stepped into the room.

"Ah, Ludwig-san, how was your shower?"

"Fine, danke." He said before taking a seat next to the Japanese man, across from the strange girl.

She sat there watching Feliciano, obviously not wanting to make eye contact.

"_How awkward."_ He thought.

He decided he would make the first acquaintance, which was an odd move for him.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, "So, may I ask who you are?" The German inquired, trying not to sound intimidating.

She turned toward him, "(f/n) (l/n), sir."

He found it amusing she had used sir. "You don't have to use the word sir; you probably know my name already due to Feliciano." The blue eyed man said, gesturing to the almost asleep Italian.

"Yes, he said you name was Ludwig, but to call you Germany because you don't like people using your real name." She sipped her tea, finishing the last drops, and set the cup on the table.

Kiku noticed the empty cup and the awkward mood, so he got up, took care of all the teacups, and headed for the kitchen.

(f/n) spoke up, "Thank you, Kiku."

He just bowed and left the room in response.

Germany replied to (f/n) statement. "Yes, well at least Italy-" He was interrupted by the suddenly awake Italian.

"FELICIANO!" Feli corrected.

The German continued, "Yes, well at least FELICIANO has enough common sense to remember that." He said looking at Feliciano, who was satisfied and started nodding off again.

The conversation stopped there, the German could not think of anything to say. It seemed that both he and the (f/n) didn't want to talk, so he didn't push it.

Kiku walked back into the room a short while later and took his seat on the sofa. The four of them sat in silence until Kiku decided to speak up.

"Did (f/n)-san tell you her predicament, Ludwig-san?" He said softly.

"Nein, she did not." The blue eyed man responded, a little puzzled.

(f/n), who seemed to be getting over her shyness, spoke.

"Well, I came with Feli after lunch, but it was still sunny then. So obviously I don't have an umbrella. I also know that Feliciano got his license taken away and Kiku doesn't really drive, so they, and I, was wondering if you could give me a ride back home. I would be really grateful-"

She kept rambling, even though she didn't have to. It wasn't that big of an issue; he could easily drive her if she needed it. Germany didn't stop her though, he thought the rambling was…well…cute.

(f/n) was now finishing her speech, "And I only live around 5 minutes away from here, so it wouldn't be too far out of your way." She finished.

The German sat there in silence for a few second to make sure she was done talking. "Ja, it's fine" He said plainly. He got up and grabbed his jacket from the coatrack and slid his shoes on. (f/n) hadn't risen from her spot on the couch.

"Well, are you coming?" He said, a little too harshly.

"Oh yeah, sorry." She said apologizing. She grabbed her shoes and put them on hastily. "Thank you." She said, looking him in the eyes for the first time since the awkward introduction. He inwardly gasped a little; the look had caught him off guard.

She, however, didn't seem fazed and opened the front door. She remembered something and turned towards the living room.

"Thank you for the tea, Kiku. Also, tell Feli I say goodbye." She whispered, gesturing towards the sleeping Italian.

"Ok, goodbye (f/n)-san, and I hope to see you again, our time has been most pleasurable." The Japanese man responded.

(f/n) turned back to the door and walked out with the blue eyed man following. They ran to the car, but (f/n) stopped, gaping at the car.

"NICE BMW!" she exclaimed, examining the car. He just watched her. "Danke, it's a Z4sDRIVE35is."

Germany opened the passenger door for (f/n) like a gentleman. Before she entered, she ran a finger down the cars sea blue body.

"My dad has an X-5, but it's not nearly as fancy as this! There isn't even a scratch. Is it new?"

"Nein, I've actually had this car for a while, I just like to keep it tidy." he said, suddenly proud of the car.

She seemed taken aback by his gesture of opening the door. "Oh, thank you."

They scrambled into the car and out of the rain.

Germany turned the key in the ignition causing the cars perfectly tuned engine to purr. He and (f/n) snapped their seatbelts with a "click" and were off.

~BACK TO YOU~

The two of you drove through the mansions gates and out onto the public streets. You noticed that Ludwig seemed to be an excellent driver .He could be one of those guys in action movies who drive away unscathed from a car chase. You giggled at yourself picturing the scene. Luckily, Germany didn't notice, he was too concentrated on avoiding the reckless Italian drivers.

You didn't mean to be so shy back at the house; you just weren't very good at talking to guys. You never were, especially to a country, let alone a hot one. Though it seemed as though Germany was the same way as her; or at least antisocial, which made you feel a little better. Maybe someday the two of you could get over that and be friends, that is, if you stayed friends with Italy.

You looked at the car clock, which read 4:00pm.

"_Good, I should still have plenty of time to clean and go to bed at a normal time."_ You thought.

The drive to your house was a silent, awkward one. Eventually, you broke it to give the German directions, and Ludwig following them until you reached the destination. Germany took a quick glance at the place, and you knew he thought it was quite run-down.

"I'm re-painting tomorrow." you said plainly. "Cleaning the inside is on today's checklist, I like everything to be pristine, just like your car."

He just nodded, and you got ready to run to your house in the rain.

"Thank you again for the ride, Germany."

"You're welcome." He replied simply, in his attractive German accent. You started a mental countdown, 3…2…1…GO!

You flung the door open, grabbed your purse and made a break for it. Unfortunately you still got soaked on the way to your front step.

You waved goodbye to Germany before entering your apartment. You watched the German through your window back out and fade in the distance.

"_Back to cleaning"_ you thought enthusiastically.

~MEANWHILE~

Germany backed out of (f/n) crappy house and down the street. The neighborhood didn't seem very safe to the blue eyed man. He hoped (f/n) would be alright. He made his way back to Italy's mansion, the rain still coming down in sheets. He entered the gates to the mansion and parked his car. The German watched the rain for a few minutes before taking a deep breath and hastily opening the car door. He made a break for the front door, sprinting through the rain and to the front porch. Straightening his shirt curtly, he opened the door and closed it after him. Italy was gone from his spot on the couch and he could hear talking coming from the kitchen. Germany entered the kitchen where Italy and Japan were doing dishes from the tea earlier. Japan heard him enter.

"Ludwig-san, you just missed a call from Mr. America, he called to remind us that Italy is hosting the world meeting next week. Looks like you and I will be staying here another week, that is, if Feliciano-san doesn't mind."

"I don't mind at all Kiku!" said Italy, "Yay! Another week with my friends!"

"You do realize we aren't going to take another week off of training, correct Feliciano?" The blue eyed man responded.

The Italian groaned. "Nooooooo! Luuuuuddddwwiiiiiiiigggg!"

Ludwig wasn't in the mood to deal with his whining, so he shot a look at Italy to shut him up. It went into effect almost immediately as Feliciano sulked off somewhere else.

"Kiku, I'll be in my room reading if you need me." Germany said

The Japanese man just nodded, and Ludwig exited the room. The German walked down the familiar hallway to his room, scanning the familiar pictures along the way. Once there, he picked up the novel and sat in the chair in the corner of the room. Curious to actually see what it was about, he read the inside cover.

"_No way."_ He whispered.

It turned out that he had grabbed a romantic novel.

He sighed, "_Note to self: look at the books you pick up closer next time."_

The man set the book back onto the table and looked outside, then towards the book. He picked it up back up again and pondered it before opening it again.

"_I guess I'll read it, it'd be a waste not to, plus I would have to go bookless until the rain lets up."_ He thought before skimming through the books 237 pages. He then went to the first page and began reading.

Sometime after, around the halfway point in his book, Italy burst into his room, carrying what looked to be a Styrofoam container.

"GERMANY(F/N)FORGOTHERLEFTOVERSFROMLUNCH!" The brown eyed man exclaimed, slurring his words.

"Calm down Feliciano, then tell me again slower" The German spoke in a monotone voice.

Italy took a deep breath and began again. "Germany, (f/n) forgot her leftovers when she left. Could you drive them over to her?"

The blue eyed man took a hand to his face and massaged the bridge of his nose. "She will be fine without them; after all, it's just pasta."

The Italian looked at him, offended, then softened his gaze to a puppy-dog face. "Pleeeeeeaaaassssseeeee…." He said pouting.

The German man looked at the clock. He had to take a double take, it was already 8pm!

"_I guess the book was better than I thought."_ Ludwig thought. He actually generally liked the book. It was about a man and women being separated during World War II.

"Alright Feliciano, I'll go." he said, "Is it still raining?" Ludwig said giving in.

"Mhmm..." The Italian responded simply, wandering the room. His eyes landed on Ludwig's book. The German quickly hid it.

Too late, "Ludwig why are you reading _Outlander_?"

The German sighed, mentally slapping himself for his crappy hiding job. "I just picked up a random novel and this is what I ended up with." He said blushing slightly. "Anyways could you grab my jacket and an umbrella for me?"

The Italian saw the embarrassment in Germanys stare, "Don't worry Ludwig, it's a good book!" The Italian cheered before exiting the room to go grab the objects.

Ludwig sat there stunned. Had he heard the Italian right?

"_Italy...READS?!"_ he thought completely astounded.

"Here you go Germany~" The Italian said, handing Germany his jacket.

"Danke, I'll be back in a little bit. Tell Kiku where I went, ok?"

Italy saluted and went to find Kiku while Germany went to the front door. He opened it slowly, walked out, then closed it afterwards. He watched the rain fall out of the dark sky, hearing its soft pitter-patter on the pavement. The German opened the bright cyan umbrella and walked to where his car sat. He recalled what (f/n) had said about it and smiled. He had never known a girl who was interested in cars; it was an interesting quirk to her personality.

He entered the car and closed the umbrella, happy for another chance to see (f/n).

**Key**

(h/s)=hair style

(h/c)=hair color

(e/c)=eye color

(f/n)=first name

(l/n)=last name

**Translations:**

**German**

Danke=thank you

Nein=no


	6. Chapter 6: Paintn' Pals

You began your cleaning rant by changing out of your nice summer clothes to a baggy t-shirt and cut off sweatpants. Turning on your music, you headed to the mirror. You put your hair in a messy bun then jumped down the spiral staircase and got to work.

You started up high so that you could return the ladder as soon as possible. Starting on the window sills, you dusted the white trim carefully. Then cleaned the windows and wiped them down. next you moved on to other places until the job looked well done. You folded the ladder, ready to take it to Clarice.

Finishing around 5pm, you ran in the rain to your neighbor's house and returned the ladder. She and her husband had been eating dinner when you dropped by.

"Sorry to have caught you in the middle of your meal." you said. "I just wanted to make sure I got this back to you; although I might need it tomorrow for painting."

"Why don't you just keep it then, and give it to me when you're done painting tomorrow," she replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Ok, thank you. I had better be going so you can get back to your meal."

"Alright, good night (f/n)." Clarice said as she closed the door.

While charging back to your apartment, you debated on what to clean next. Deciding on the kitchen, you opened the door to your apartment and started working again, half drenched.

After cleaning the kitchen, you moved on to other parts of the house, like the dining room, spare bedroom, the bathroom then finally finished up with your bedroom. It was around 7:45pm when your stomach growled at you.

"_Huh, I didn't eat anything for dinner."_ You thought. And that's when it hit you. You slapped your forehead. "UGH! I left my leftovers at Feli's house! Why am I so forgetful?!"

You had always been forgetful since you were a little kid. "Oh well, I know that Feliciano will enjoy them." You thought, taking out your gourmet pears and a fork. Quickly devouring the pears, you sat in the middle of your bedroom, just looking around. Afterwards, you slowly leaned back onto the soft carpet and closed your eyes. You were pretty tired due to this evening's labor, and couldn't wait to take a shower and sleep. You lost track of time lying there, though you knew it hadn't been long when the doorbell rang its sweet tune. You, however, didn't think of it as sweet as you jumped out of your skin. Seeing as this wasn't the best of neighborhoods, and you parents taught you not to open the door to strangers, you rummaged through your bag for some sort of make due weapon. You sighed. The best thing you could find was a white plastic knife.

"Well, its better than nothing, I guess." You muttered, shrugging. The doorbell rang again; the person was getting impatient. You ran downstairs, took a deep breath and raised the "weapon" above your head; ready to stab anyone who might do harm with the measly knife. You turned the handle and slowly opened the door.

"Hallo, (f/n)." said a deep, familiar voice.

"Oh! Hi Lu-I-mean-Germany." you corrected yourself, lowering your plastic eating utensil.

You saw something you could tell was unusual for the man, a smirk. It quickly dissipated leaving you wondering if you were just seeing things. Germany gestured a Styrofoam container in your direction. You were about to ask what it was when you smelled what was inside.

"_Lunch leftovers."_ You thought. You reached out to grab for it when some water dripped onto the container. You looked up.

This time, the German was properly prepared for the rain, for he was holding an umbrella. The water left from the rain very so gently dripped off of the sides of the carmine object. The umbrella hung over his face, casting part of it in shadow. From beneath it you could just make out the glint of his cyan eyes.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to bring them all the way over." You said.

"Italy insisted that I bring them to you." He replied simply.

That was the first time you had heard Feli called by his country name.

"_Weird…"_ you thought.

You took the container from the man, accidentally brushing his hand in the process; it was warm compared to the cool, damp evening air. The German and you both blushed slightly, but neither of you noticed each other's.

"Well, I already had pears for dinner, but I will definitely eat them tomorrow!" you said, trying to break the awkwardness. He wouldn't look you in the eye for some reason, but instead looked at his feet. That's when the rain started to come down harder.

You decided to invite him in so he could get out of the rain. "Here, come on in while I put this is the fridge."

He just nodded and closed his umbrella, shaking it in the process. You watched him as he politely took his shoes and jacket off.

He stared at the empty room. "I don't get my furniture until next week, but you're welcome to take a seat on the carpet. It's more comfortable than you think." You said, exiting the room afterward.

You found your refrigerator and put the leftovers inside, then went back to where your company now sat. You took a seat next to Ludwig, who was looking around the room intently.

"So, you finished cleaning, I see." Germany said.

"What?" you responded. How did he know?

"I said, it looks like you finished cleaning the house. Looks...erm…nice."

"Thanks, I just finished not too long ago, then ate my pears, afterwards is when you arrived."

"Ah…" he managed to say, trailing off. He seemed stiff.

"_Is he always like this?" _you think to yourself. You wished the two of you could get past the classic "awkward stage" quicker.

The two of you sat in silence for a bit, before you came to a decision. You had nothing better to do, right?

"Would you like me to show you around?" you asked.

He nodded slowly, "Sure."

You both stood and brushed yourselves off.

"Well obviously this is the living room." You gestured towards the room. The both of you moved to the next room, which happened to be the kitchen. You watched the man's blue eyes travel the room. You couldn't read his emotions at all.

"And you said this was a cheap apartment?" he finally said, now obviously stunned. He went over to the freshly cleaned granite countertops and ran a finger down its body.

"I had the same reaction; back in (y/c) granite is a sign of wealth."

"Same with Germany." He said.

"I think it is in all countries but Italy apparently."

"Well it IS Italy I suppose."

"True."

The two of you continued to the next room: the dining room.

There wasn't any furniture, so it wasn't very interesting. The two of you soon move upstairs afterward.

You were about half way upstairs when you heard the sound of faint music. You could see that Germany could hear it as well.

"_Oh no, I left my music on!"_ you thought.

You bit your lip. "I'll be right back!" You said, running ahead and disappearing around the corner. You quickly switched it off and headed back to the stairs, which Germany was now finished climbing. You rejoined him and showed him the guest bedroom, bathroom, and last but not least, your room.

You looked upon the room along with Germany. The blankets of your make-shift bed were neatly folded. Next to them sat your empty pear can with the fork sticking out of the top. Your eyes fell on your nicely folded clothes in the corner.

"_Wait what?"_ you thought looking down. You realized you were still wearing your cleaning clothes. You internally moaned "_Uuugggghhhh how embarrassing!"_ Germany didn't seem to mind though as he stepped into the room, examining it thoroughly. You followed, more self-conscious than before, and showed him the room. That's when he spotted Feliciano's blanket.

"Isn't that Italy's blanket?" He asked

"Mhmm, he gave it to me on the airplane. I fell asleep and I guess I looked cold. That's how he and I met."

The German nodded.

Once finished, both of you headed back down stairs and took your spots on the carpet. It was silent once again until the German cleared his throat and spoke.

"(f/n)?"

"Yes?"

He looked like he regretted starting what he had to say. "Don't you worry about living here? It…it doesn't seem very….safe."

You sat there in silence for a moment before raising your gaze to meet his. "…Yeah I do, but now that I know more people around here like you, Feliciano, and Suzanne, I feel more secure. "

"Wait, Suzanne, the women who runs the fabrics shop in the market?"

"Yeah, how did you know?! I met her this morning, she's very nice and we became instant friends. How do you know her?"

"Feliciano knew her when she was younger, I stop and talk to her once in awhile, but she doesn't know that I'm a country or anything. Sometimes it's just easier when people think you're normal."

You felt a pang on the inside. It would be really hard to be a country, they have a lot of responsibility, and people rely on them for a lot. You suddenly admired this man for what he did.

"So it is true…." You muttered.

The blue eyed man gave you a puzzled look.

"So it's true you guys don't age right?" You further explained.

"Partially, we just age really slowly. We die if our country does. That's pretty much it. I'm around what you call 20; so are Italy and Japan. But other nations who have been around longer like France or England are around 25. Most of the allies are younger than them though." he answered.

"Allies?"

"Yes, America, England, France, China, and Russia."

"Ah…"

"Mhmm…." He trailed off again.

He seemed to be loosening up and quickly found another topic to switch to. You didn't mind, you couldn't really think of anything to say.

"If I recall, you are painting your house tomorrow, correct?"

"That's right." You said, playing with the carpet.

"Same color, or are you going to change it?"

"I'm going to keep it the same color, I like it a lot. It just needs a touch up job is all."

"Can't disagree there…" he said.

"Do you know of a paint store around here?" You asked, remembering that you don't know where to start.

"Yes, there is one just beyond the supermarket; it conveniently opens at the same time as well."

You groaned and he shot you a quizzical look.

"It's a long walk."

"It is not that long of a walk."

"Ya huh."

"I think you could just use some exercise." He responded tersely.

You gave him a quick shove, "No way, I'm just lazy is all."

He went quiet once again. You could hear the crickets chirping outside when he spoke up.

"Would you like to do training with Italy, Japan and I?"

It seemed to be a sudden question and he looked away, his face slightly red. You remembered Italy mention it shortly at lunch. He didn't say a whole lot about it, so it didn't seem like a bad thing so you responded, "Sure." Besides, you ran on the track team at your high school, what could be worse?

He nodded when you thought of a good idea.

"On one condition." You said, looking the German straight into the eyes.

"And what is that?" He asked, in his thick German accent.

"I will do training with you if you help me paint my house tomorrow. If you want, Feli and Kiku can come too."

He thought out loud.

"I don't think I have any plans, I completed Italy, Kiku's and my paperwork before I came to Italy…"

"Why do you do other countries paperwork?"

"Well, Italy isn't smart or focused enough to get his done, and Kiku helps me a lot so I do his paperwork in return."

"Oh…How long are you in Italy for?"

"Well I was just going to stay until a week for now, but the following week is a world meeting at Italy's house; America called and reminded us of it this afternoon. So probably two weeks from now."

You suddenly felt sad, "_Two weeks isn't enough time to get to know this man."_ You thought disappointed.

You suddenly asked, "What's a world meeting?"

"All of the country personifications gather and discuss world issues; though we never get anything done. Everyone is always arguing over something, even I can't keep order for long."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I seem to be the only country who wants to get something done. I often have to yell over everyone, but that never helps, they just go back to arguing." He said, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Ah…"

"So, after that you go back to Germany, correct?"

"Correct."

You decided it was time to start the conversations now. "What's your house like? Is it as extravagant as Feli's?"

"No, mein house is much more modest than his. It has three bedrooms and two baths, so about normal sized I would think.

He continued listing off features of his house blandly, and a little too seriously. However, you didn't give up the opportunity to look at his facial features. The whole time you had known him, Germany always had his eyebrows furrowed from his irritation. You wondered what he was always frustrated with. He never relaxed it either, so it was safe to assume he was always like this. For what unpleasantness was brought from the eyebrows was made up in his beautiful eyes. Even though they never sparkled to show emotion or interest, they still made him attractive. His strong jaw moved forcibly as he talked, and his white teeth shone through every so often. His angular nose was a little on the larger side, but you thought it made him look even better. You noticed he slicked his hair back, compared to earlier when his hair was soaked and hung in his face. You were suddenly tempted to run your hands through it so it hung in his face again. You shook your head to rid of the thoughts and concentrate on what the man was saying, but you were too late.

He finished his description of his house and cleared his throat once again. He stood, and that's when you noticed how much taller this man was than you. You stood too, copying the blue eyed man.

"Well I had better get going, it's getting late." You looked at the clock, which read 9:36pm. Germany had been over for about an hour now.

His cell phone went off, startling you both. He picked it up swiftly.

"Hallo?"

Silence as the other person talked, then Germany spoke again.

"Yes, I'm still alive, Italy, I was just talking with (f/n) is all."

Another silence.

"No, I said I'm fine! If I were dead, would I be talking to you at this moment?" the Germany raised his voice a little, clearly getting agitated.

More silence.

"Yes, I'll be home soon, I was just getting up to leave now."

There was one last silence before Germany said his goodbye.

"Yes, bis später. " The man said finally before hanging up.

You recognized he used German to end the conversation.

The blue eyed man walked over, grabbed his jacket, and tied his dress shoes before standing curtly.

He turned to talk to you. "What time should I come around tomorrow?"

You shrugged and thought for a bit, "Ummm...is 8:30am ok?"

"Sounds gut, see you then." And with that, he opened his umbrella and let himself out into the dark night. You watched him go to his car, back out of your driveway, and disappear down the street for the second time that day.

You immediately turned the lock, flicked the lights off and headed upstairs to take a shower. You were beat from such an eventful day. Grabbing your pajamas and a towel, you headed for the bathroom. You also snatched soap, shampoo, and conditioner from your bag. Next you stripped off your sweaty dirty cleaning clothes off and entered the shower. Then something occurred to you.

"Wait, where is the washer and dryer here?" You thought. You shrugged; you could find them tomorrow. It was a little late now, with you being naked and it being 9pm.

After your shower and bedtime ritual, you settled down under Feliciano's blanket and quickly fell asleep.

Key

(y/c)= your country

(f/n)= first name

Translations

German

Mein= my

Bis Später= see you later

Gut=good


	7. Chapter 7: Late Night Stroll

** Authors note: Alright guys, here's the next update! First let me tell you why it took so long. My computer got a terrible virus and I couldn't do anything with it and ended up having to clear the hard drive, which of course didn't work. Finally we took it to someone to get it fixed and now its up and running again. I also am back in school, so I won't be updating as often. (too much homework should be illegal). But I have 3 more chapters written so that should keep you busy :)**

**Alright so now that the negatives are cleared, I want to thank everyone for following/favoriting/commenting on the story! Keep the comments coming. I love them! It means a lot and helps build my writing. ^-^ So basically ASDFGHJKLASDFGHJKL THANKS!**

**Oh, and also, I'm still new to the site so sorry if I don't respond, but I do see your messages...I just don't know how to respond to them yet ~ and also, I'm too lazy to indent so that's why there isn't any indentation now ^^**

* * *

~Germany's P.O.V.~

Germany backed out of (f/n) driveway and headed back to Italy's place. She seemed shy enough, so he decided that he would strike conversation for once. It worked; she eventually relaxed and talked with ease. He stopped himself. _"Why do I care?"_ He asked himself, _"Why do I act so different around her?"_

He reached Italy's house. Germany parked his car, pulled out his umbrella and walked to the front steps, dreading how the Italian man would act when he came through the door. He found him looking forward to tomorrow, then once again stopped himself. _"We are just friends, that is all."_ He said, confirming it in his mind. He walked into the elaborate mansion.

The next thing he knew he was almost knocked over by Italy.

"GERMANY I THOUGHT YOU DIED OR SOMEONE KILLED YOU! IF YOU WERE ABOUT TO BE KILLED USE THE "I'M A VIRGIN" EXCUSE! Wait you are a virgin right? Yes, you have to be seeing as you're terrible with women… KIKU THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD TOO!"

Germany blushed and face palmed as Japan walked into the entry hall. "Ludwig-san, I did not think you were dead, but I was worried."

Italy spoke up, "SEE?!" hugging the German man harder.

"Italy, will you please get off!?"

Italy immediately released, "Sorry Ludwig…" He said quietly as he backed away. Germany stood up and brushed himself off before turning to Japan. "I was just talking to (f/n) for a bit, it sounds like she'll do training with us this week."

Italy hoorayed then became somber. "Why would you invite her to something so... TERRIBLE?! NOW SHES GOING TO HATE US FOR SURE!"

Germany spoke up, "Actually we had a deal, she wants me to help her paint her house tomorrow and in return she said she'd do training. She said you guys can also come to help if you want."

Italy frowned, "But…but….but I'm busy tomorrow, I promised Fratello I would help him harvest tomatoes. Tell her sorry I couldn't come." He said disappointedly.

Japan spoke next, "I have plans for tomorrow as well; I was going to make mochi for dinner. It takes a while to ground up the rice if you do it the old fashion way like I do." He said calmly. "Send her my deepest regrets."

He nodded at their replies and took his shoes and coat off.

They all left the room and went their separate ways. Japan went to the bathroom to take a bath, Italy went to the living room to watch television and Germany went to his room to go to bed.

Once Germany got to his room he changed into a black tank top and light blue boxers. He completed his nighttime rituals and covered himself in his down comforter. He shut his eyes, ready for sleep to take him.

Except it didn't.

He tossed back and forth trying to find a comfortable position but to no avail. His mind also wouldn't stop finding things to think about. No matter what he tried to think of, it somehow morphed to him thinking of (f/n). At first he couldn't believe it. He barely even knew this chick, so why did he like her this much?! After a while, he was too exhausted and just let himself think about her. He loved the way her (h/l) (h/c) locks cupped her face. Her (e/c) orbs seemed to sparkle with curiosity everywhere she looked. Yes, he could get used to her, but he really wished they could get passed the awkwardness and be friends. Questions also weighed heavy on his mind. _"Will we ever get passed the awkwardness? Does she think of me the same way? Does she consider us friends yet?" Will training make us closer, or like Italy said, make her hate me?"_

Finally he had enough; he got out of bed and washed his face in the bathroom sink. The cool water felt good on his heated skin. Walking back into the bedroom, he looked at the alarm clock. It was a little after midnight.

He thought a moment before he decided he would take a late stroll. He pulled his brown trousers back on, grabbed a jacket, and silently snuck through the house. He unlocked the front door quietly and exited the manor.

Luckily it finally stopped raining as he stepped out. The night air was crisp and refreshing and Germany took a deep breath. He exhaled slowly and walked along the sidewalk along the streets of the town. He let his legs take him wherever and let his mind go blank. After a few minutes of walking he stopped at a house. His legs had taken him to (f/n)'s house. The house was silent and still, and no lights were on. It was indeed peaceful, but he was on high alert due to the conditions of the neighborhood. He ran a finger on the gate to the house. The gate was, of course, locked and was cool from the night air.

He thought about how (f/n) was comfortable and snuggled under Italy's warm blanket. He bet she looked peaceful, and suddenly he wished he could see her. He shook the thought from his mind and looked at the neighbors' houses surrounding (f/n)'s. The one to the right was dark but the one a light was on in the house on the left. The light was on the first floor, and he could see a woman's figure through the closed window. She had dark brown hair, and was sitting next to what he assumed to be her husband on the sofa. They were watching their television contently.

Germany yawned and decided to head back and try to sleep again. Stepping away from the line of apartments, he headed back down the empty street. He looked at his feet as he slowly walked. His mind was calm now; somehow the visit had helped him. He walked and then unexpectedly ran into someone.

He looked up to see the small frame of a woman sitting on the ground. She rubbed her head and looked up.

Germany immediately helped the women up, and as soon as he did so, recognized her.

"Suzanne?"

"….Is that you, Ludwig?" She said surprised.

It was definitely her; he could recognize that hair anywhere, her long strands tied back into a tight ponytail.

"I'm so sorry," the German apologized, "I wasn't watching where I was walking."

"It quite alright sonny, but not watching where you were going is only half of it, I can tell there is something heavy on your mind. Care to tell me?"

He both loved and hated how well this woman sensed the mood.

"Also," the lady added, "Why are you out so late? And why are you here, of all places?"

"I could be asking you the same question." He remarked tersely.

"Don't get snippy with me, answer my questions." The old lady remarked, crossing her arms.

"Well, it's kind of a long story." He said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well to answer your question quick, I was out at the bar, I'm on my way home. Since yours is a long story, why don't you come with me?"

He knew she wouldn't take no as an answer, so he followed the women.

"So how have you been Ludwig? You haven't stopped by my shop in a while." She said, making light talk.

"I have been pretty busy, plus I haven't been in Italy for a while."

"You need to visit more often, I get lonely you know. Although this morning, I met a delightful young lady. She helped me setup my shop." She mentioned, thinking back.

He nodded and Suzanne continued. "She was headed to the store to pick up cleaning supplies for the new apartment she just bought. Actually she said it's not too far from here.

That's when he connected the dots and interrupted. "Does this woman go by the name of (f/n)?"

She gasped a little, "Why yes, how did you know?"

"I also ran into her today."

"How so?"

He sighed and looked away, _"There's no way I can tell her without her knowing I'm a country…"_ He thought, trying to think of a way around it.

"Well?" she asked, getting impatient.

His mind was blank of ideas. He decided she was worthy of the truth and sighed.

"Feliciano went out to lunch with her and brought her back to his house. I went out for a run and it started to rain on me, so I came back and she was there. I'm helping her paint her house tomorrow."

She stopped in her tracks, "You mean you were at THE Feliciano's house? Why were you there? How do you know him?"

He replied to all the questions at once. "Yes I was at his house, whenever I'm in Italy I stay there. I know him because we are allies. I'm… Germany." He admitted.

She gaped and her only reaction was, "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME BEFORE, SWEETHEART?"

He looked away, "Sometimes it just easier to pretend to be human…" He trailed off.

"You know very well that I wouldn't treat you different, dear." She said, beginning to walk again.

He cleared his throat, "I know I just…never mind."

"So your friends with Feli huh?"

"Allies." He corrected. He did consider Feliciano a friend, he wouldn't admit it though.

She thought a moment then looked up at him. "Nope, your friends I can sense it. You know you can't hide things from me. You said you got stuck in the rain too, you must have been drenched!"

"Yeah, I was. It was embarrassing. (f/n) was sitting in the living room when I came in soaked."

She laughed lightly, turning into the driveway of her small house. Even though it was dark, he could tell the cottage was an eggshell white. Suzanne unlocked the door and walked in with Germany followed after.

He took his jacket and shoes off then looked around at the small cottage. It really fit the old woman's personality. Her fabrics hung from everywhere, the bright colors making the house lively. The inside of the place was also quite messy. Empty spools of thread were scattered about and a sewing machine was covered in assorted fabrics.

He quickly caught up to Suzanne who was now in the kitchen, making what smelled like tea. She finished, gave a mug of the liquid to Germany, then sat down herself.

"Danke." He said taking a sip. It tasted heavenly, and was just the right temperature.

She immediately turned to him, "Well, we have time so tell me your long story." She nudged him and he started talking. He told her about the book store incident with (f/n). He also told her about he was poured on, only to find (f/n) sitting with Feliciano. Germany rambled on about the pasta he "had" to take back to (f/n) and how she had asked him to help paint her house tomorrow. Finally, he finished with a huff.

Suzanne pondered for a moment before speaking up bluntly. "You like her, that's why you're out so late right? Couldn't sleep?"

He blushed harshly and looked away. Suzanne just laughed. "I remember when I was young and had those same problems…" She quieted in remembrance.

"I do not!" He finally said, clearing his throat.

"Lying isn't a very good habit, you know." She said simply.

A moment of silence passed, and in that time Germany did realize the new feelings. He did like her. He put a hand on his face, worried Italy was rubbing off on him. He blurted the sentence he was thinking before he could stop himself.

"Do you think an awkward guy could at least become friends with her?" He mentally stabbed himself.

She laughed, "Oh hun, you're not awkward! But yes, I think she would love to be friends with you, after all she asked for your help did she not?"

"Well..."

"Now don't doubt yourself, and to keep it between you and me I can let you know when she's talking about you." She winked.

He smirked, "You're so sneaky."

"That's why you love me!" she said, taking care of their dishes. She finished and sat back down. "You know, even throughout that giant rant you never told me what you were up to this evening."

He shot her a questioning glance before remembering she had asked why he was in this area. He blushed and looked at his hands. "I just ended up meandering to (f/n)'s house." He said quietly.

She was smiling sweetly when Germany looked up. "I can tell the two of you are going to become inseparable. You have the same personality and brains."

"You barely know her." He said back.

"I don't know you very well, but I can tell when something's wrong." She remarked matter-of-factly.

"There's no arguing about that." He responded.

They sat a moment before he couldn't help but ask, "What's an old women like you doing at a bar at midnight?"

She chuckled, "That, my friend, is none of you business."

A comfortable silence fell over the two of them; they enjoyed the company.

She abruptly stood, "Now get out of my damn house and go to bed!"

He chuckled, "Yes ma'am!" He saluted and grabbed his belongings.

Her final words to him were none other than "NEVER CALL ME MA'AM!" before slamming the door.

He smirked. That old lady was crazy, but he knew he couldn't live without her.

Germany walked past (f/n)'s house again. Her neighbors had now gone to bed, and the whole row of apartments was eerily dark and silent.

He smiled remembering Suzanne's words and kept walking.

He entered the gate to Italy's house and walked up the driveway. In his mind, he was debating the best way to sneak in without waking anyone.

Reaching the front door, he hoped he wouldn't wake Feliciano, he would ask a million questions if Germany woke him. He opened it slowly, somehow avoiding it creaking. Germany stepped in and closed the door behind him. The German took his shoes and jacket off for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day. Next he headed down the hallway towards his room quietly. He opened his door and looked inside the dark room before letting out a sigh of relief. Italy didn't come to "sleep" with him again, and he didn't wake anyone. He closed the door behind him and silently slipped back into his nighttime attire. Suddenly realizing how tired he was, he grabbed a glass of water from the bathroom and gulped down its contents. Satisfied, he walked over to his bed and tucked himself in.

He lay there for a bit, thinking about earlier's conversation. Germany felt a wave of confidence run over him.

_"Now don't doubt yourself."_ Was the last thing he thought before losing consciousness.

**Key**

(f/n)=first name

(h/l)= hair length

(h/c)= hair color

**Translations**

_Italian_

Fratello= brother

_German_

Danke=thank you


	8. Chapter 8: Painting is a Pain

**Here you go~ next chapter is done ^^ again, sorry for the delay but hopefully this makes up for it! **

* * *

~Your P.O.V.~

BURNING! Your eyes were burning! You quickly sat up and opened your eyes. Looking back to where your head was laying, you figured out why. A streak of sunlight came from your partially closed blinds and landed itself on your pillow. Sighing, you got up and opened the blinds; today you had many things to accomplish.

You got sat down and ate your never ending supply of pears.

_"I really need to grocery shopping, after all I do have appliances."_ You thought.

You looked at the clock and it told you that it was 7:45 am. Groggily you headed for your bag to get an outfit for the day. Settling on a mint colored sundress, you slipped it over your head. It fell over your (s/c) legs ending at your lower knee. You spun around, loving the way the puffy skirt flew around you. Next, you combed your hair and brushed your teeth. Finally, you put on your favorite lavender perfume and headed downstairs to wait for Ludwig.

Walking outside, you chipped a piece of paint off so you knew what color you would need to get. Afterwards, you decided to just sit outside and enjoy the cool morning. Dew was fresh on the grass and everything was pleasantly silent. A train whistle blew in the distance.

After a few minutes of waiting Ludwig pulled into your driveway at exactly 8:30.

_"I can't tell if that's creepy, good, or if he's just a punctual person."_ You thought. Deciding he was punctual, you ran down your driveway so you didn't keep him waiting.

"Guten morgen, Fraulein." He said as you entered the car.

"I'm guessing that's good morning?"

"Indeed."

"Well, then good morning to you, too." You said, smiling.

He took off from the driveway and down the street. You passed the usual stands and saw none other than Suzanne sitting at her stand, talking to a customer. She looked up briefly and saw you pass. You waved at her, and she smiled and waved back.

"I have so much to tell her." You thought, laughing internally. So much had happened in just two days.

After a short drive, you arrived at the small paint shop. It was painted an arrangement of colors, all blended together perfectly to create a rainbow over the building.

Germany found a place to park and the two of you walked into the store, which was just being opened.

The acrylic smell of paint wafted through your nose as soon as you entered. Rows of paint, wallpaper, and products lined the shelves. It was very cramped; you struggled to maneuver throughout the store to find someone who worked there. By the looks, the blue eyed German was also having difficulty moving, as he was bigger than you.

Finally reaching the brightly painted counter, you sat and waited for help. Ludwig also made it and stood next to you silently. He was looking around the literally colorful store. Your eyes traveled everywhere; the walls were painted the same as outside. The floors were polished wood and it echoed when anyone took a step. Something nudged your side and you turned to look. Germany was looking at you expectantly when someone repeated, "Miss?"

Snapping out of your trance you looked at who was calling you. A woman behind the desk was looking at you.

"Oh, sorry, it's just so colorful." You apologized, mesmerized.

She laughed, "We get that reaction a lot. What do you need today?"

You dug in your purse and found the paint "sample" and handed it over to the lady.

"Ah yes, I'm repainting my house and needed this color."

"Right this way." She said, guiding you down the aisles knowingly.

"Here you two are." She said, gesturing to the paint buckets.

"How many do you think I will need to cover a small apartment?" you questioned.

She pondered a moment before answering. "Well, I think you'd be safe with going with six." ((I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WOULD BE THE CORRECT AMOUNT WOULD BE; SORRY IF THIS ISN'T ACCURATE!))

"Ok, I'll take that many then." You replied cheerfully.

You grabbed two paint buckets and Ludwig grabbed four; two more in each hand. The paint buckets were heavier than expected, but the German wasn't struggling a bit.

"I assume you'll also need brushes?" The clerk asked.

"Yes ma'am." You said.

She grabbed appropriate brushes for you and then headed to the counter; you and Germany right behind her.

Once back to the counter, the woman rang you up. Observing the woman, you noticed a name tag that read "Pauline" in crude letters. Her red hair was short and was slightly graying at the roots. A blue paint splatter ran across her cheek and down her neck. Her colorful outfit matched the store. Yes, Pauline definitely seemed like the kind of person that would work here.

"Here you are, miss." She said handing the paint over. "That'll be 115 euro's." she said. Bringing out your handy dandy credit card, you swiped it into the machine. After the transaction Pauline said, "Have a nice day." before Germany and you left the store.

You got back into the car while Germany put the paint buckets and brushes in the trunk.

He entered the car. "Thank you for the help." You told him.

"No problem." He said simply.

"Hey, do you think we could pass by Suzanne's? I'd like to talk to her real quick."

He cleared his throat, suddenly looking nervous. "Sure."

The BMW approached the stand and Germany parallel parked across the street. Exiting the car and running across the street, you gave the old woman a hug. It scared her and she yelped and turned around to see that it was you.

She gasped. "Oh (f/n), darling, you scared me good!" she chuckled.

Looking behind you she saw Germany approaching; he was looking both ways before crossing the road. You realized how handsome he looked; he was dressed more causally then the day before due to painting. He had a gray t-shirt on,leaving his strong arms bare. A light pair of jeans hugged his hips and ended at his dark blue sneakers. You giggled; he looked just like a senior in high school.

"I see you've met Ludwig. He's handsome, isn't he?" she said, still watching Germany. He was unaware of the attention being given to him.

You looked over at her, "He told me he knew you, what a small world."

~Germany's P.O.V.~

Germany walked over to the two women who were already chatting. (f/n) was unaware of his presence, it seemed, but Suzanne saw him. She winked and asked (f/n) a question.

"So how did you two meet?"

Germany mentally let out a breath of relief; she wasn't going to tell (f/n) about last night.

(f/n) spoke cheerily, "Well after having lunch with Feliciano yesterday, which I still need to tell you about, I went back to his house. After a while, it started to pour, and Ludwig came inside soaking wet. Since I didn't have my umbrella, he took me home after he took a shower and changed."

Suzanne laughed, "My, what an interesting way to meet!"

"I'll say…" (f/n) trailed off.

"So why are you with him today?"

"Oh, yesterday he asked if I wanted to work out with him. I told him I would if he helped me paint my house today." She said, rocking on her heels. (f/n)'s mint dress followed her body as she did. He had to admit; the color suited her nicely.

"Ah…" Suzanne said. She gave the German the look of "you-didn't-tell-me-that-part". "So you guys are friends now?

(f/n) considered this. "Well, I don't know him all that well, but I'm sure we'll warm up to each other quite nicely." She smiled.

Germany was glad to hear this; Suzanne cunningly gave him something to go on. He loved her slyness.

She winked at him again, telling him he could "walk up to them" now.

He backed up a bit and walked over louder and cleared his throat. (f/n) turned around and smiled at him. His heart fluttered at her beautiful white smile.

"Hi Germmmmm-Ludwig." She corrected. He smirked, knowing that she remembered Suzanne "didn't know" that he was Germany.

"I know he's Germany, dear." She spoke up, "He thinks he can hide things from me, but I knew all along." Suzanne easily lied.

"Oh…" she laughed. "Suzanne, you're a riot!" (f/n) hugged the old woman again.

Germany shifted his weight to his other foot, pretending to be taken aback about the old women knowing.

"So Luddy, (f/n) tells me you're helping her paint her house today, what a nice gesture."

The blue eyed man heard (f/n) giggle at his nickname. Suzanne continued, turning to (f/n). "You be careful (f/n), Ludwig's a serious one; he's not easy to get a smile out of."

She crossed her arms. "Challenge accepted."

Suzanne laughed, "I better let you guys go; you have painting to do. But (f/n), don't forget to come back tomorrow and tell me about your lunch with Feliciano!"

She chuckled, "I won't, I'm coming back tomorrow after work for groceries. I can only live on pears for so long."

(f/n) turned around. "Bye Suzanne, see you tomorrow?"

"You bet Dearie!" Suzanne replied, turning to a customer.

Germany waited for (f/n) to walk away before going up to Suzanne. "Thanks Suzanne, you know how to help anyone."

She smirked, "It's no problem Luddy. Besides I have nothing better to do, so why not mettle with a young relationship?"

He smiled and patted her back before turning and leaving.

(f/n) was watching him while he walked back to the car. She was leaning against the car comfortably with a pleasant look upon her face; her (e/c) eyes shone with happiness and glee. He decided that it was a sight he could get used to seeing.

Germany unlocked the door and (f/n) entered as he quickly followed. Soon they were off and approached the small run-down apartment waiting for them.

~Your P.O.V.~

Germany drove smoothly up your driveway. The two of you exited the car. The German man opened the trunk and took out the paint cans, two in each hand again. You grabbed the remaining gallons of paint and the brushes situated in a plastic bag.

Setting your load down you fished for your keys and found them. You opened the door for the man and he thanked you and stepped inside. You watched him for a moment, observing his muscles before picking up your cans again. You walked in and set them down before closing the door after you.

"I'll be right back, I'm going to change into painting clothes and put two cans of pears in the refrigerator for lunch." You said, walking up the spiral staircase.

He just grunted and nodded his head whilst setting down the paint.

You quickly changed into yesterday's cleaning clothes and grabbed all the pears you could fit in your hands.

You made it back downstairs and put the now counted 7 cans of pears into the fridge. Finishing, you returned to the living room. Germany was standing and waiting patiently.

"What would you like to do first?" He asked.

"Well I have no idea; to be honest I've never painted before so this is going to be a new experience for me." You said, rubbing the back of your head nervously.

"Alright well lets wing it then." He replied.

The two of you headed outside and looked at the apartment.

"I think we should start at the top and work our way down." He said, thinking out loud. He held his hand to his chin while thinking. It looked like the classic "Thinker" pose.

"Alright, let's go grab the brushes and paint then."

Ludwig grabbed a gallon of paint and you grabbed the brushes and ladder. Making your way outside, the German grabbed the ladder from you. "I got it." He said calmly. You let him take the ladder and followed him with the bag of brushes.

The sun was in mid-rise and faint streaks of orange and pink painted the sky. The neighborhood was a little busier; people lined the streets ready for work and kids walked to school with stuffed backpacks.

Germany started setting up and you helped silently.

"So Feli and Kiku couldn't make it?" you asked, seeing as Germany was alone.

"Italy had plans with his bruder and Japan is spending his day pounding rice; Which reminds me, Italy says "Hi"."

You chuckled, that was so like Feli, "Tell him I say "Hi" back."

Germany was setting up the ladder, "Alright."

Walking over to the lucky first paint can, you determined the best way of opening it. You ran inside and grabbed something to use as a lever. A pair of scissors in your suitcase was the lucky object. You ran back outside and easily opened the can of paint with the scissors. Next you opened the brushes and stuck two inside and walked over to Ludwig, who was now atop of the ladder.

"Here ya go." You said, hoisting the orange liquid to the German.

"Danke." The man said, looking into your eyes. It took you by surprise and both of you stared at each other for a moment. A blush covered his face and yours as he cleared his throat and looked away.

You officially had enough of the awkwardness and made up your mind to become bolder.

"Hey Germany, is there any way I can assist you from up there?"

He turned to look at you, "Is there another ladder around? Then we could both paint up here."

"I'll go ask another neighbor, hold on one second." You said, running to your neighbors on the right.

Before you could even knock, a creepy man opened the door just enough to fit the ladder he was holding through.

He shoved the ladder at you. "Here." He said, closing and latching the door afterwards.

You took the ladder confused. _"Did that just…you know what, never mind."_ You thought. Walking back with the ladder you watched Ludwig paint. He was using light, careful strokes so he wouldn't hit the white trim. After the ladder was set up you climbed up it, grabbed the second brush, and started painting whilst ignoring the Germans light blue gaze.

The two of you painted together until lunchtime rolled by. Your lunch pear feast tasted good and soon you and Ludwig got back to work.

Both of you remained pretty quiet, only talking here and there; that is until you ran out of paint from the first gallon.

You decided to tease the German from the previous conversation with Suzanne. "Luddy, could you grab another gallon from inside?" You said smirking.

He looked at you, a surprisingly playful look in his eyes. "I was wondering when you were going to mention that."

You laughed, "I hope you don't mind that I'm going to call you that for now on~"

His look became serious, "Only Suzanne gets away with that; if I didn't let her call me that she'd beat me to a pulp."

"Scared of an old woman I see." You said, giggling.

He came out and admitted it, to your surprise. "Rightfully so, too."

You laughed. That sounded like Suzanne.

He climbed down his ladder to go get the second gallon of paint. "But if you don't like Germany, you can call me Ludwig; just don't do it around Italy."

You looked down at him. "How about we compromise and I call you Lud?"

He waved his hand, showing that the new name was ok.

After a few minutes, he returned with more paint and the two of you picked up where you left off.

Now that the ice had broken a little better, both you and now declared Lud talked better and more naturally. You found out quite a bit from the German, and he the same. Actually, the two of you seemed to have a lot of common interests.

Nighttime eventually rose from its perch and claimed its territory over the never ending sky. Streaks of pink orange and purple clung to the sun's edge. Stars were appearing in the West, their sparkling gaze watching over the human race.

You were tired, the house was just about done; you only had about a square foot left. Ludwig and you had gone through all of the paint cans, and you had just enough left in the sixth to finish the job correctly.

"ONE MORE STROKE!" you said excitedly as you finished the unpainted area.

"DONE!" you practically sang, falling onto the grass behind you.

Germany chuckled and took your paintbrush; he had started cleaning up as you completed the task.

"Thanks." You said, rolling onto your stomach.

You watched people pass through your small street. The teenagers you saw two nights ago were out on their bikes again. You wondered what antics they were up to. Ludwig returned and plopped down on the untrimmed grass beside you.

Taking a long look at him, you noticed an orange paint streak decorating his face. You chuckled, "Lud, you have a paint splatter on your face!" Unconsciously, you took your thumb and tried to wipe it off. It didn't come off, but red now joined the orange on the German's face. You realized he was blushing and stopped.

"Come inside," you said, "we need water to get that paint off."

The blue eyed man followed you inside and upstairs to the bathroom. Grabbing the hand towel, you turned the water on. Next you ran a corner of the towel under the water getting the towel just wet enough. You turned off the water and turned to Ludwig.

"Hold still for a sec." You practically whispered.

He just grunted and you went on your tiptoes to look at his face better. You rubbed in gentle circles until the paint eased itself off of the man's face and embedded itself into the towel. The blush on the Germans face grew but he stayed in place. Once finished, you stayed there a moment, treasuring the closeness of your bodies before backing off. A light blush covered his face and yours as you went to hang the towel back up.

He cleared his throat and looked down. "Th-thanks." He muttered.

After the towel was securely back in place, You walked back over to him. He was slightly leaning on the counter, eyebrows furrowed like always.

"What would you like for dinner, pears or pears?"

"Um, how about neither." He said, getting over his blush.

You were silent. You didn't have anything else! Didn't he know that?

He saw your confusion. "How about I take you to a really good sandwich joint?"

"Ok!" you said happily. Grabbing his arm, and causing him to blush more, you both walked out of the freshly painted apartment. You locked the door behind you and walked out onto the lawn.

Germany kept walking as you stopped. "Hold on a sec, Lud." He stopped and turned around with you.

Both of you looked at the now bright orange apartment. It shimmered in the fading light and looked a whole heck of alot better.

"Thanks for the help today." You said, giving his hard arm a squeeze.

"No problem." He answered, opening the car door for you.

He crawled in on the other side, started his roaring engine, and took off down the road.

**Key**

(s/c)=skin color

(f/n)=first name

(e/c)=eye color

**Translations**

_German_

Guten morgen=good morning

Fraulein=Ms.

Bruder=brother

Danke= thank you


	9. Chapter 9: Oh the Irony

**Alright this is the final chapter that i have written so far, it will take me a while to post another due to school. So, uh keep commenting and thank you for all of the support!**

~Le Germany's P.O.V.~

Ludwig decided he was going to be like his brother and be awesome. He was taking (f/n) to the best sandwich place in town, and he wasn't going to split the bill for once; he would pay for it himself. Italy had always done that with women, so he decided he would try it. Also, he decided to give (f/n) one hell of a ride as soon as they got in the car. After all, why not show of his superior "German" driving skills why he was at it?

He stuck the key and the car and revved the engine before taking off down the road. Since it was late there wasn't much traffic so it was easy to maneuver the car around traffic. He knew the cops wouldn't get after him either; most people in Italy drove faster and more reckless than he was going now. He made a fast right turn and his wheels skidded, squealing in the process. He shot a glance at (f/n) when he had the chance. Her eyes were wide and she was hanging onto her seat tight. Some would think she was scared if she didn't have a big smile plastered over her beautiful features.

His speed shot up again and they took the next left they came across. Again he accelerated into the turn as his tires howled from the stress. This time (f/n) shrieked a bit, then started to laugh.

Ludwig loved the speechless gestures between the two as they drove on. She had such a lopsided grin that he couldn't help but smile a bit too. Unfortunately, there weren't any more turns on route so he just sped up and came to a screeching halt at the diner.

(f/n) laughed, "Ludwig, I think that was the best drive I have ever been on."

"I had a feeling you would have fun." He said putting the car in park. He couldn't help but love how nice his car handled.

(f/n) exited the car closely followed by Germany and they made their way to the entrance. Germany held the door open for (f/n) as she entered the withering restaurant. The sandwich shop had been here ever since he could remember. He watched (f/n)'s eyes widen at the inside, though he didn't really know why; it wasn't all that special of a place. White tiles stained and yellowed with age covered the squeaking floors and a maroon fabric laced the walls. The joint was dully lit like all Italian restaurants seem to be. The light fixtures were stained glass and different colors streaked all of the objects in the room.

They waited for a little while before a pudgy man came to take us to our booth. (f/n)'s eyes grew wider, if possible, and the man seating us said, "(f/n)?"

Wait, what?

(f/n) spoke. "Boss?"

WHAT?

The man, who was now obviously the manager, smiled and hugged her, "It is you signorina!" He gave a wholesome laugh.

(f/n) laughed too, "What odds!" She turned to me, "Ludwig this is where I'm starting work tomorrow!

Oh.

He looked at the owner of the restaurant; he had seen the man many times before.

(f/n)'s boss talked, "I see you've met one of my regulars (f/n)! Make sure you keep 'em happy, he's a good one!" the man lightly punched Ludwig and laughed again.

(f/n) laughed too, but Ludwig didn't see what was so funny. _"Actually this man is downright annoying."_ The German thought.

"Well, seeing as you're a costumer for today (f/n)," said the pudgy man, "What can I get for you two?"

(f/n) shot him a glance, and then she spoke, "Well, I don't really know the menu yet, I'm going to get whatever he gets, I guess….Oh and a lemonade, please."

Germany also ordered and the man walked away to take care of the orders.

The blonde haired man spoke quietly. "What was so funny?"

(f/n) got closer to him and whispered back, "He has a nasty temper; I don't want to piss him off before I start work."

"Ah..." is all he managed to say.

He made small talk with (f/n) until the sandwiches were brought out to them.

(f/n)'s boss set the plates on the table. "There you two are. I'll bring the bill in a moment." He said as he walked away again.

(f/n) looked at her sandwich before taking a bite. Ludwig watched her face as the flavor hit her. The face was priceless, really.

"You like it?" Germany asked.

"I LOVE IT!" she exclaimed, taking another bite.

He was about to respond when the fat man came over again. "You can pay this whenever."

(f/n) pulled out her purse, but the blue eyed man pulled his wallet out faster, "Here you are, sir." He said.

The man walked away once more to complete the transaction. (f/n) looked pissed off.

"What?" Ludwig said.

"I could have paid!" she said simply.

"It's fine, it's my treat."

"Feli did the same; I don't want to be a burden."

"You're not a burden at all."

"Well…" she said. He had a feeling she was going to say more but her boss came over one last time with the receipt.

"There, you two are all set, have a good meal!" He said. Then he turned to (f/n). "And I can't wait to see you tomorrow, (f/n) ~" He said, lifting her chin to make her look at him.

(f/n)'s jaw slightly dropped as her boss walked away, smirking.

Did he just see what he thought he saw? A shiver went down his spine, and Ludwig suddenly worried for (f/n).

After the man was out of earshot he brought it up with her. "Hey, (f/n), will you be alright? You didn't mention the man was…well…a creep."

She seemed generally taken aback as well, "I-I...I think so…he didn't like act like that when I first met him…maybe he just drank too much wine or something." She said, gesturing with her hand.

He sat silent for a second before saying, "Well if anything happens, just tell me ok?"

She nodded. "Alright…"

He took a long look at her before taking a bite of his sandwich.

~Back to your P.O.V.~

What the HELL just happened?! Was your boss hitting on you!? You shook the thoughts away, like you had said, he probably just drank too much wine. Careful not to let Lud see your predicament, you took another bite of the sandwich. It was SSOOO good! It was kind of like pizza. Cheese strung from every bite, and the peperoni gave it a delicious kick. The Italian bread was crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Soon you completely forgot what happened and enjoyed the evening.

You watched Ludwig eat his sandwich. He was having a problem with the cheese as well and a thick strand ran from the sandwich into his mouth. You giggled and he noticed and looked up, giving you a questioning look.

"You look silly with cheese hanging out of your mouth like that." You laughed again.

Germany just blushed and severed the string of cheese quickly, but he wasn't looking at you. He was looking past you. Curiosity got the best of you and you turned around. You saw your boss walking back to the kitchen, looking straight at you. Quickly, you turned back around and gave the German a look.

Before he said anything you spoke. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I can handle myself."

He gave her a doubtful look before finishing his sandwich.

Surprisingly, you finished yours too even though it probably weighed more than your head. Germany looked surprised. "I can rarely finish a sandwich like that, you must have been hungry."

You laughed, "Yeah, I guess I was."

Lud rose, "Ready to leave?"

"Mhmm." You followed suit and also rose from your seat.

Both of you made your way to the door and left the eatery, which looked to be closing. The sign was turned and the shop was dark as your boss locked up. You paid no mind to him though.

By now it was dark outside, and headlights of cars came and went on the main stretch of road lighting up the pavement where they walked and other objects. It was chilly out and you rubbed your hands together. Luckily the car wasn't parked too far away, but before you reached there, Ludwig was motioning something to you. He was offering his jacket.

"Oh no, I don't need it I'm fine." But your body contradicted you evilly and shivered.

"Uh huh, really now?" He said, putting the jacket over your shoulders.

You grumbled, "Thanks."

The German chuckled lightly, and you perked up, "HAHA YES! IN YOUR FACE SUZANNE!" You spun around laughing.

Germany stopped. "What?"

You stopped and stumbled a bit, dizzy, "She said you were serious and I couldn't get you to laugh! But I did so HA!"

The blue eyed man's eyes sparkled and for once, you saw emotion. "Amusement" You thought. "Alright, you got me. This time." He smirked and gave you a sly look. You blushed and started walking towards the car again.

You heard his footsteps behind you as he followed. The car unlocked with a cute beep and you and the German climbed in.

"Want to go for another spin?" He asked.

"Uh, no. I think if we did, I would barf and ruin the interior of your car."

"Sounds legitimate to me." He replied simply, taking the BMW out of park and driving out of the parking lot.

You laugh quietly and start another conversation. "We should do this again, it was fun." Looking over at him, you smiled. "Oh and here's your jacket. Thank you, by the way."

He nodded. " Just toss it in back, and that would be…fun"

The rest of the ride you just kind of blabbed on about random stuff about your home life and Lud listened intently.

After the short ride you arrived home you and Ludwig walked inside your apartment for a bit. Both of you sat on the carpet in silence. You and ludwig watched outside the window together. It was mostly empty, except for the few cars that passed. The next door neighbor on the right arrived home by the look of it. You would have to thank him for the ladder tomorrow; no matter how much you didn't want to go back over there. The thought sent a shiver down your spine, that man was downright creepy.

You broke the silence with a question you had been wondering for a while. "Why was Italy in (y/c)?"

Germany thought for a bit. "I think he mentioned something about sightseeing if I remember correctly."

"Ah."

More silence. You yawned, it was getting late.

Lud noticed, "Oh, sorry I should go. It's late."

You smiled weakly. "Yeah…well not to like kick you out or anything but…" _"Wow I just said that. Really?"_ you thought.

The blue eyed man stood. He put his shoes back on and prepared for departing.

"What time is training tomorrow?" You asked.

"Anytime really, what time are you finished with work?"

"I think I get out at 5pm, then I have to pick up groceries, talk to Suzanne, and then I'll be home."

"So should I pick you up around….7?"

"Yeah, that sounds ok."

Germany opened the door. "Alright, Bis morgen." He said, stepping out into the dark night.

"What does that mean?"

"It means see you tomorrow." The blonde said before entering his car and driving off once more.

You watched after him until his car blended with the night. After locking the door, and everything else for that matter, you headed upstairs. You wished the German was still here, you felt oddly like you were being…watched? But that was crazy so you just walked into your bedroom, grabbed your PJ's and entered the bathroom to take a shower.

It was a quick shower, you weren't really in the mood and you were tired from painting. After brushing your teeth and other bedtime necessities you walked back to your room. Your bed felt extremely good and you fell asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow.

~Germany's P.O.V. again~

Ludwig got back come and parked the car in his usual spot. Exhausted, he made his way to the front door. He walked in and smelled the familiar smell of rice. He forgot about the mochi dinner Japan had made. Making his way to the dining room, the smell got stronger.

Japan was cleaning dishes and Italy was talking to him as Germany walked in.

Italy was the first to notice he was home. "LUDWIG YOU MISSED DINNER!" he exclaimed.

The German rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah…I'm really sorry about that Kiku, it slipped my mind, I went out with (f/n)."

Kiku turned around. "It's ok Mr. Germany, I put your plate in the refrigerator; you can have it tomorrow for lunch."

"Are you sure? I know those are hard for you to make, I feel bad." This was true, Ludwig felt terrible.

"Hai, it is fine" The Japanese man replied, "They taste the same leftover anyway." He smiled. "How was your day with (f/n)?"

"It went well; we somehow finished the entire house, and then ironically went out to dinner at the restaurant where she will be working." He responded, remembering the boss. He shook it from his mind; (f/n) would be fine.

The brown eyed man stared. "Really, how'd that go?"

Germany left out what happened. "It was awkward but other than that well."

"That's good…" Kiku responded.

Then came Italy, "SEE?! I told you that you would like her!" He said, prancing out of the room. "Buonanotte I'm off to bed!"

"Goodnight." Germany and Japan said in unison.

"I think I'm going to follow suit, gute nacht Kiku." Ludwig said, exiting the room.

Kiku followed. "I am as well, Goodnight Mr. Germany."

The blonde man went to his guest room. After taking an abrupt shower, and doing his nighttime ritual, he laid down in bed.

Luckily sleep found him easily, and he fell asleep quickly.

**Key**

(f/n)=first name

(y/c)=your country

**Translations**

_Italian:_

Signorina=Ms.

_German:_

Bis morgen=See you tomorrow

Gute nacht=good night


End file.
